(From September 25, 2013)
City and County Officials
propose groundbreaking idea for increasing
recreational opportunities in the Eastern Sierras.
By Victor Meier
“If there are any concerns, we want to hear about
them.” Bishop City Administrator Keith Caldwell told me before Wednesday
night’s first of three public meetings to discuss The ATV Trail System proposed
by the City of Bishop and Mono County in collaboration.
According to Mr. Caldwell, “Bishop is the first
town in California to offer a program like this one.” Caldwell enthusiastically
urged residents to get involved, saying, “We are seeking your input.” City of
Bishop and Mono County Officials, CHP Officers, Bishop Police, other members of
law enforcement and interest groups gathered in the parking lot of the Bishop
Senior Center; giving Bishop and Mono County Residents the opportunity to voice
their concerns and get close to the types of vehicles they might encounter
should Assembly Bill 628 successfully become implemented.
Bishop City and Mono County officials are
expecting the proposed bill to pass within a year and upon completion of the
Environmental Impact Report (EIR). “How much does the EIR cost the town of
Bishop,” a man asked? According to Director of Public Works, David Grah and Mono
County Transportation Planner, Courtney Smith, the City of Bishop’s cost will
be, “Little to nothing,” in their words. This is due mainly to a generous grant
generated by revenue from the California Department of Motor Vehicle’s Off
Highway Vehicle (OHV) Green Stickers. The “Green Stickers” are
issued to all California OHVs year model 2002 and older, including those that
were previously issued a red sticker, and to 2003 and newer complying vehicles.
Green stickers are issued to OHVs for year round use at all California OHV
riding areas.
That same man brought up another point about the
need to have an economic analysis conducted, which there have been none to this
point. The man, staying focused on the issue of cost, asked about the
possibility of the city’s increased expenses for First Responders. Basically,
the man wanted to know who was going to guard the high traffic volumes that may
potentially occur and if it was going to be Bishop…“How much is that going to
cost?”
Bishop Chief of Police, Chris Carter asserted
that with implementation of the ATV Trail System, the city would apply for more
funds generated from the Green Stickers. He also made mention of his ability to
coordinate with other available law enforcement and praised their support. A
sentiment that was echoed by the strong presence of law enforcement as mentioned
before. The Chief also expressed a desire to “reach out to law enforcement
where this sort of program is already in place.”
A woman was concerned about her street, which is along
the town’s proposed ATV access route.
Apparently her street has no sidewalks. “Are the routes set in stone,”
the woman asked? “My street has no sidewalks and the kids have to play in the
street,” she continued, “It worries me.” Mr. Grah assured the woman that, “OHVs
are just like traditional vehicles and follow the same rules.” “Yes, within the
city they are like any other vehicle,” followed Chief Carter.
Grah had stated earlier that the residents of
Bishop who were living along the proposed routes had been notified about their
proximity and opportunity to be involved personally by the city of Bishop at
each resident’s home. “All the routes are yet to be agreed upon,” said Grah. “We
want to increase recreational opportunities in the Eastern Sierras,” continued
Grah, “Our goal is to connect OHV areas with services in Bishop.” Bishop Mayor,
Laura Smith thinks that, “This can be a great opportunity to bring tourist dollars
into Bishop.”
Another man expressed concern for the fact that
he was apparently unable to state his questions, comments and/or concerns
anywhere other than in public forums like the one offered Wednesday evening.
“Go to the (Mono) County website and click on the “Interested Parties” link,”
Mono County Transportation Planner, Courtney Smith suggested. Grah told the
man, “Our intention was to be informal.”
Collectively Bishop’s Officials supported the
idea of being open to change and applying the resident’s valuable concerns and
experiences to the program planning. “This is a pilot program and we want your
feedback,” said Caldwell, “This is an exciting venture and we are seeking your
input,” he reiterated. The Bishop City Administrator was adamant in expressing
Bishop’s commitment to “Operating with transparency and taking all the right
steps to make sure that it (the proposed ATV Trail System) is safe.”
Facts About the Proposed
OHV Trail System
1. There are no plans that are set in stone-this is a pilot
program with room for adjustment.
2. Routes have yet to be agreed upon.
3. There has been no CHP Safety determination yet.
4. The Environment Analysis will be conducted next and thanks to
a Green Sticker funded grant will cost Bishop “little to nothing” and will take
about one year to complete.
5. All signage is being paid by the State of California.
6. Any additional First Responder cost can be offset with Green
Sticker funds.
7. OHV operators are licensed drivers who are required to carry
auto insurance.
8. OHVs must stay on clearly marked and designated routes and
are limited to certain vehicles.
9. No economic analysis has been done relating to the operation
of these trails.
References
No comments:
Post a Comment