Decision time is approaching for a proposed Valley-to-Skyline Trail that could give mountain bikers their own route between lower Woodside and Skyline Boulevard, through Huddart Park, and away from horse trails.
The San Mateo County Parks and Recreation Commission will hold a special public hearing to address the draft master plan for Huddart and Wunderlich parks — which includes the controversial mountain bike trail — on Wednesday, March 22, from 7 to 9:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the McKinley Institute of Technology, 400 Duane St., in Redwood City.
Equestrians, mountain bikers, runners and hikers are expected to flock to the meeting to voice opinions honed through almost two years of debate. More than 200 attended a workshop in Woodside on January 31.
Last August, the commission approved the draft master plan for the two wilderness parks in Woodside, with directions that the staff explore creation of a bike trail from Highway 84 (Woodside Road) to Skyline Boulevard.
Despite increasing numbers of bicyclists, the Windy Hill Open Space Preserve in Portola Valley provides the only bicycle trail in the county linking the valley to Skyline, said planner Sam Herzberg of the county parks department.
The proposed bike route would follow paved park roads in Huddart Park from Greer Road in Woodside to the park entrance on Kings Mountain Road. There it would cross Kings Mountain Road and become a new bike trail through the undeveloped section of Huddart Park south of the road.
The proposed trail would cross Kings Mountain Road again at the road to the archery range. In the upper reaches, it would join the Bay Area Ridge Trail, a multi-use trail that is not currently designed for bicycle use, Mr. Herzberg said.
The debate pitting bicyclists against horseback riders is also reverberating through Woodside. Equestrians complain of accidents caused by rogue bike riders. The Town Council will consider taking a position on the proposed bike trail at its meeting Tuesday, March 14, at 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 2955 Woodside Road.
Not addressed in the master plan is establishing an official bike route for street bicycles from the Valley to Skyline, Mr. Herzberg noted. Road bicyclists still share Old La Honda, La Honda, Kings Mountain roads and Route 92 with cars. “No road here has bike lanes; that’s a real problem,” he said.
INFORMATION
• For information on the proposed bike route, go to eparks.net, and click on Draft Huddart-Wunderlich Master Plan. This includes the staff report for the Wednesday, March 22, meeting, from 7 to 9:30 p.m., in the McKinley Institute of Technology auditorium, 400 Duane St., Redwood City.• The Woodside Town may take a position on the proposed bike trail at its meeting Tuesday, March 14, starting at 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 2955 Woodside Road.
