The Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz (MBOSC) have an interesting plan for gaining access to more trails: tourism. The group argues that by making Santa Cruz a world class mountain bike destination, tourism dollars will flow into the area helping everyone from hoteliers and restauranteurs to city tax authorities.
The trail access debate generally focuses on us versus them arguments and equal rights for all trail users so it’s great to see MBOSC attacking the problem from a new angle.
Of course opponents to the plan will argue mountain biking is harmful to the environment and that no amount of money can compensate for the potential damage.
But with increased tax revenues local governments can afford to help with trail maintenance and oversight to minimize the environmental impact that increased bike traffic may bring.
I’ll be very interested to see the reception the MBOSC plan receives over the next few months – a positive outcome could serve as a model for communities around the country.
