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What is CMBA?
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The Calgary Mountain Bike Alliance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to maintaining access to non-paved trails in and around Calgary. We are committed to keeping trails open and in good condition by promoting multi-use, through a program of education, stewardship and advocacy, we:
- instruct cyclists in proper trail etiquette.
- educate other trail users, park delegates, and government bodies.
- support trail maintenance, construction and sign/brochure projects.
- help shape local and provincial policies on Mountain Bicycle use.
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CMBA has been working over the last 5 years to convince the City that cyclists should have the same rights as other citizens and that mountain biking does not cause any greater environmental degradation than walking. Largely we have been successful at this and the City now believes in these concepts. Any trails that are closed are now normally closed to all users. Cyclists are not singled out. Unfortunately, we have a number of years of bad policy to overcome and must still fight a number of people who believe that Calgary's natural areas are only for their personal use. This means that we must continue to work closely with the City to demonstrate that cyclists are normal, environmentally concerned citizens.
The efforts at CMBA are shifting away from yelling and screaming about past and present injustices to making positive contributions to improve the City and our (cyclists) reputations. In this regard CMBA has in the past year:
- Worked with the City and community groups to create fair recommendations regarding Bowmont Park's Natural Area Management Plan. This has required some compromise on our part but has resulted in Cycling being treated equally with all other Park users. It has also demonstrated to the City that CMBA and cyclists in general are concerned with the environmental impact of human use within Calgary's natural areas.
- In conjunction with the City CMBA is creating a demonstration trail in Nose Hill Park. This trail uses IMBA guidelines to create a sustainable natural trail that is interesting to ride. We hope to prove to the city and to other interest groups that trails can be designed and built to standards that provide a natural experience while being easy to maintain. In conjunction with our belief that all users should be treated equally, this trail is being built as a multi-use trail.
- We are presently creating a sub-committee to develop criteria for freeriding. The City has asked us to provide them with the criteria that an area must have to be attractive to freeriders. CMBA's (and the City's) goal is to be proactive in identifying logical and acceptable places for freeriding. We want to prevent negative impacts on the reputation of cyclists that would occur if controversy broke out over improper use of natural areas by freeriders.
- Visited Calgary bike shops to provide some background and history on bicycle access to Calgary's natural area parks, update them on our current activities, and to educate them on the importance of responsible riding. Most have been very appreciative and supportive of our efforts and are willing to do their part to carry the right message to their customers and the people that they can influence.
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CMBA has been instrumental in preserving your right to ride trails in and around Calgary. With your help, we've assisted in the formulation of the City's Cycling Policy on Undesignated Trails in Parkland. This is the best thing that's happened to cycling in Calgary since the invention of the wheel.
Read the IMBA Trail News article.
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