MCBC response to biker/equestrian incident in Novato, June 2013

On behalf of everyone at the Marin County Bicycle Coalition (MCBC) and our 1,800 members, we would like to extend our deepest sympathies to the two women who were injured last Thursday in a terrible incident at the Indian Tree Preserve in Novato. MCBC is deeply disturbed by the circumstances surrounding the accident between two young mountain bikers and two equestrians that resulted in injuries to the equestrians and a horse. We wish them both a speedy and complete recovery.

The behavior of these two young cyclists is unacceptable, and is not representative of the Marin mountain bike community. Every day in Marin, mountain bikers, hikers, and equestrians share 254 miles of scenic fire roads and 43 miles of multi-use trails. Accidents like what happened in Novato are tragic, but thankfully rare.

This accident highlights the importance of the primary reasons that MCBC formed an Off-Road Program in January 2012: (1) to educate cyclists why using trails illegally is not acceptable and (2) to educate all trail users about how to safely share fire roads and multi-use trails.

To accomplish these goals, MCBC’s Off-Road Program has been distributing free bike bells this summer, providing cyclists with a friendly way to signal to others that they are approaching. This approach has been used successfully in other places where roads and trails are shared by mountain bikers, hikers and equestrians, such as Montana de Oro State Park.  We are collaborating with multiple land managers to produce better trail signage that focuses on education and sensitive habitat identification, rather than unfriendly prohibition. We are also planning a workshop with local high school cycling coaches and equestrian clubs to educate young riders about the appropriate behaviors for horse/bike interactions. MCBC collaborates with the NorCal High School Cycling League, which does an excellent job of educating young cyclists about trail courtesy and land stewardship through their Spirit of Howdy campaign, which is planting the seeds of responsible trail use in these youth.

We want to make it very clear that MCBC does not support the illegal use of trails. Instead, MCBC encourages respect of all trail users and responsibility for maintaining the outdoor environment that we are all so fortunate to have in our collective backyard. We engage in collaborative planning to serve our community’s varied needs for transportation and recreational opportunities. MCBC encourages anyone with information on the teenagers responsible for this incident to come forward. We look forward to working with land managers and the public to reduce the chances of another such incident in the future.

Kim Baenisch, Executive Director

Tom Boss, Off Road Director