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"<Delete as appropriate: Mayor Wagner / Mayor ProTem Schott / Councilmember Fox / Councilmember Lalloway / Councilwoman Shea>
1 Civic Center Plaza Irvine, CA 92606 Dear <Insert City Councilmember Name>: I am writing to request that bicycle facilities be included in The Great Park. Only a small area would be needed, perhaps half the size of a soccer field, to accommodate a BMX race track, a Mountain Bikers “Pump Track” and a skate bowl (which would be used by both Skateboarders and BMX freestyle- riders). Cycling is very important to the lifestyle of my family, infinitely more so than field sports. It is an activity that my child enjoys and can be included in a healthy adult lifestyle much more easily than any sport which relies upon the presence of an entire team of players. I operate two bicycling businesses in Irvine, and rely upon the large bicycle companies which operate in Irvine (Shimano USA Headquarters, Oakley Global Headquarters, Felt Bicycles Global Headquarters, Bosch, retail bicycle stores and many more). I expect that a bicycle facility would engage nearly continuous use, something that is not true for most sports fields. About 10 years ago Irvine was named the most bicycle friendly city in the USA, I feel it could be again. Bicycling enjoys a very high participation rate in Irvine. Encouraging youth and family participation will no doubt foster bicycle commuting, which is beneficial in so many ways, and would relieve traffic in The Great Park. Finally, the emblem of the Great Park Neighborhoods is a bicycle (shown below), and I understand that home buyers in The Great Park Neighborhoods receive complementary bicycles. Sincerely, Tim Lane" |