By Jim Shilander
San Clemente will allow bicyclists to ride a larger portion of the Beach Trail next summer after City Council directed city staff Tuesday to begin formulating an ordinance to open up the area.
The new ordinance, would allow riders to bike south of the wooden bridge at Trafalgar Canyon. Bicyclists previously had been directed to walk their bikes during the busiest use time in the summer. The policy does allow for restrictions on holidays and during major events, such as the Ocean Festival.
The proposal did not receive an endorsement from the Beaches, Parks and Recreation Commission at its August meeting. The commission cited concerns over safety, as well as concerns about when the changes would take effect. Marine Safety Chief Bill Humphreys said city staff believes the area is wide enough to accommodate riders safely.
Humphreys said staff members had investigated two other potential options for the area, including leaving the current restrictions in place or changing them to allow for bicycle riding only during certain periods, such as before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m. Humphreys said this would be more difficult to enforce and could cause further confusion. Lifeguards do not monitor the trail, only beach patrols. Humphrey said while the current regulations maintained safety, they also made bicyclists walk their bicycles when the trail was not crowded.
Humphreys said there had been no reported incidents between bicyclists and walkers in the area for the last year, leading to the recommendation to open up the area.
Resident Ricado Nicol advised against the change. As someone who used the trail as a pedestrian regularly, Nicol said he knew there had been many “close calls” between bicyclists and pedestrians, and he personally knew two people who had been “banged up” by bicyclists, including one who no longer uses the trail. He recommended either requiring, or at least suggesting, that bicyclists that use the trail have a bell to warn pedestrians if they were coming.
In approving the proposal, the council included a provision to allow the policy to be revisited after a year if the new rules proved to be unsafe.
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