My family and I have walked the Weston, Concord and Carlisle trails and have found the bicyclists to be considerate.
I would like our wonderful resources to be shared with those interested. While there may be some bad apples on bikes, there are also some dogs that rub their dirty noses and/or jump on strangers. Not to mention the droppings that are left by dogs of some inconsiderate walkers. With a bit of mutual consideration, I want to believe we can all learn to get along in our beautiful town. From: Lincoln <lincoln-boun...@lincolntalk.org> On Behalf Of Margaret Olson Sent: Monday, June 20, 2022 5:37 PM To: Sara Mattes <samat...@gmail.com> Cc: Lincoln Talk <lincoln@lincolntalk.org>; Barbara Peskin <bpeski...@gmail.com> Subject: Re: [LincolnTalk] Trails Continuance Mike Farney did actively recruit large numbers of bikers, and those bikers were not always respectful of the trails or other users. But that was over 20 years ago! The biking community learned to police it’s own and the serious bikers moved to other much more interesting venues. Look at the trails in Weston. It’s just not a problem. I live near a section of the Weston woods where bikes are permitted. I urge all of you to go walk in Weston and Concord. On Mon, Jun 20, 2022 at 5:09 PM Sara Mattes <samat...@gmail.com <mailto:samat...@gmail.com> > wrote: I would strongly disagree with the general statement that we are perceived as “an island of exclusion,” because of our current trail policies. The number of cars parked along our roadways all during the pandemic, and the walkers that came from them would say otherwise. We are well-known for the relative peacefulness of our trails, as opposed to those towns that have a larger number of bikes on them. The number of fast moving bikes and mountain bikes that were here during Mike Farney’s tenure, and after, led to many complaints and to the degradation of the trails. The bike ruts led to erosion and degradation of flora and vegetation, and made walking often uncomfortable and sometimes unsafe. Subsequent hearings were filled with very passionate folks from the out-of-town biking community and those in town, with a similar charge of elitism deployed. It did not dissuade the stewards of our lands and the introduction of more restricted use, and the return of peace and healthier trails for the rest. It seems history is repeating itself and we may, once again, relearn a hard lesson, unless our stewards are very, vary careful as they thread the needle. Sara ------ Sara Mattes On Jun 20, 2022, at 4:45 PM, John Mendelson <johntmendel...@gmail.com <mailto:johntmendel...@gmail.com> > wrote: I must point out that both Concord and Weston (and other towns mentioned) allow cycling on a significant majority of their trails at present. We are very much our of step with our peer towns in terms of restricting usage of our trails. And these policies give us a reputation, deserved or otherwise, of a town that is the opposite of welcoming and open-minded. We are an island of exclusion when it comes to trail use policy in the area. Further, there are many trail bike specific destinations in the area that attract enthusiasts and an incremental increase in bike access here will not significantly increase use nor impact wildlife. John On Mon, Jun 20, 2022, 4:25 PM Barbara Peskin <bpeski...@gmail.com <mailto:bpeski...@gmail.com> > wrote: Deb, Thank you for sharing the zoom link and reminder for the 6/22 vote. Interest from Lexington, Wayland, Andover, etc seems to be a sign of outside recreational bike groups looking to get access to Lincoln trails and I feel that the Conservation Commission's considering to lower the bar on protecting habitat will negatively impact Lincoln wildlife - I don't think Concord or Weston will in exchange protect trails if we open ours. Lincoln has something special because of the generosity of conservation and hard work of stewardship that came before us, and I wish it could continue. I am sending in another letter on behalf of walkers and wildlife before 6/22 and hope you might, too. If you are interested in seeing my letter please let me know. Re: Trails Continuance from Lincoln Digest, Vol 117, Issue 20 Hello, all - The June 1 ConComm trails discussion over Zoom was robust and heartening; lots of people showed up and voiced their opinions on the proposed trails regulations. For those who couldn't make it, the ConComm decided to hold off on voting on the regs, and instead to continue the meeting on the evening of this Wednesday, June 22, also over Zoom. You can find the agenda for that meeting here: <https://www.lincolntown.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_06222022-4573> https://www.lincolntown.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_06222022-4573 Further discussion and a vote on the trails issue is scheduled for 8:15 pm, and the Zoom link for the meeting is on the agenda, or here: Zoom Meeting Link: <https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88063247875?pwd=SFJFd1pKcVJZSDFXUDkxdGVyYzBQZz09> https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88063247875?pwd=SFJFd1pKcVJZSDFXUDkxdGVyYzBQZz09 or Dial In: 1-646-876-9923 Meeting ID: 880 6324 7875 Passcode: 894034 Written comments on the proposed draft trails policy are a matter of public record; Michelle Grzenda suggested that anyone interested in reading those comments should call or email her or Stacy Carter for the link. (The Conservation Dept. prefers to get individual requests for the link rather than broadcasting it, because private emails are included with the comments). I have read the comments, and think they’re worth the read, as they give a wide range of opinions on trail use in Lincoln. (I noticed that some quite extensive comments came from residents of Lexington, Wayland, Weston, Concord, Belmont and Andover — there’s quite a lot of interest outside Lincoln in Lincoln’s trail policies.) And of course it’s always good to hear the voices and views of others on the ConComm Zoom, and to voice your own. Best, Deb Howe ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Barbara Peskin My Moments in Nature Photo Gallery: <http://barbarapeskin.com/> barbarapeskin.com -- The LincolnTalk mailing list. To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org <mailto:Lincoln@lincolntalk.org> . Search the archives at http://lincoln.2330058.n4.nabble.com/. Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. Change your subscription settings at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. -- The LincolnTalk mailing list. 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