If the worst thing that the quasi-accountable, governmental service provider and land manager, Metro Van organization does this year is shut down some {awesome} mountain bike trails that will suck. Especially because closing those well-built, maintained, sustainable, and long-time trails is going to result in a pile of shitty unsustainable rake-and-ride lines in the same zones.
However, thanks to bloated wages, massive cost overruns on projects that should be their core competencies, and side-of-the-side-of-the-desk oversight from a random assortment of elected city councilors from within their boundaries, the organization is using its apparently unlimited budget to drive up the cost of living in the greater Vancouver area for everyone.
Try getting the average North Shore resident to care about some bicycle trails when thanks to Metro Van’s well-documented institutional incompetence there’s an incoming 41% increase in their property taxes for 2025. It would be surprising if taxpayer rage at this year’s property tax bump doesn’t result in the province reorganizing the whole structure of the organization.
In the meantime, Metro Van’s decision to destroy {again: well-built, maintained, sustainable, and long-time} trails have the riding community fired up and vitriol is sailing everywhere. Some of the things I’ve read. Just, wow. Yes, it sucks. New Normal et. al., are awesome trails. But we’re talking about riding bicycles in the forest. In the grand scheme of things going on in the world today, we’re doing pretty great if the worst things going on here are related to bicycle trails. Right?
If you’re still pissed, or at least mildly grumpy I hear that. Me too. Maybe for different reasons. Doesn’t matter; here’s a two-step plan to do something positive in response to this action by Metro Vancouver.
1) Educate Yourself.
Throwing out ignorant threats of boycotts {what are you boycotting, the trail maintenance you don’t currently help with anyway?} and attacking other riders personally obviously isn’t making you feel any better or helping. Or, them feel any better either. So let’s all act with some grace.
If you only read one piece, make the time to read Cam McRae’s excellent editorial on NSMB.
If you only read one part of Cam’s piece, I would focus in on Cooper Quinn’s commentary. In fact I’ll post the quote Cam used here:
“The association needs to remember that it is beholden to the riding community. That is why it exists. That is who it is exists for. And without the riding community support, there’s no point. And the riding community needs to remember that the NSMBA is, generally speaking, trying to do its best to support the riding community in the way that it best sees fit. But the association’s response to me was missing a call to action.” {Cooper Quinn}
Be angry, but not too angry, and be informed.
2) E-Mail The ‘Decision Makers’
Here I’m just going to copy and paste from Cam wholesale; I don’t know how I could say it better. If you have time to spew on the subject you have time to e-mail the folks who should be exercising oversight on Metro Van.
“It is my position that using taxpayer’s dollars to destroy beautiful well-built trails without any consultation of the riding community is a terrible mistake. It’s also unlikely to produce the result Metro Vancouver is looking for. I will agree that to some degree the proliferation of unsanctioned trails, in some forms and in some locations, is a problem that should be addressed, but this heavy handed strategy will most likely make the problem worse.
…
My request is this; If the trails on the North Shore mean something to you, please write a letter to one, several, or all of the representatives on that list and tell them. Let them know that you think destroying well-built trails is a waste of taxpayer’s money, and that it’s likely to create environmental damage by displacing riders and encouraging them to do their work deeper in the woods.” {Cam McRae}
I’ll post again if/when I hear back from my e-mail message. Not holding my breath.
Contact Information for Metro Vancouver Water Committee Members
West, Brad (C) – Port Coquitlam email: westb@portcoquitlam.ca
Sager, Mark (VC) – West Vancouver email mark@westvancouver.ca
Albrecht, Paul – Langley City email: palbrecht@langleycity.ca
Bell, Don – North Vancouver City email: dbell@cnv.org
Cassidy, Laura – scəẃaθən məsteyəxʷ (Tsawwassen First Nation) phone: 604.735.1496
Guichon, Alicia – Delta email: aguichon@delta.ca
Hodge, Craig – Coquitlam email: chodge@coquitlam.ca
Keithley, Joe – Burnaby email: joe.keithley@burnaby.ca
Little, Mike – North Vancouver District email: mayor@dnv.org
MacDonald, Nicole – Pitt Meadows email: NMacDonald@pittmeadows.ca
Meiszner, Peter – Vancouver email: CLRmeiszner@vancouver.ca
Rindt, Rob – Langley Township email: rrindt@tol.ca
Stutt, Rob – Surrey email: rob.stutt@surrey.ca
For any email you send, cc lscr@metrovancouver.org