NEW FIGURE
"8"
BIKE TRACK

A new concept in park design may prove to be one of the answers to the nation-wide critical lack of recreational space in urban areas, the Bicycle Institute of America reported recently.

"Optimum utilization of potential recreation resources is not being achieved in most of the nation's cities," reported The National League of Cities' Department of Urban Studies not long ago. "To meet the rising demand for recreation, in spite of the declining availability of open space, cities must expand the multiple use of facilities, establish park-school complexes, and employ imaginative designs and new construction techniques."

The report also encouraged locating parks where the people are, and emphasized "neighborhood facilities." It stressed that rather than just "providing acreage for football, baseball, and basketball, and swings and slides, programs meeting cultural, artistic, and creative needs must be provided, as must facilities for sports that people can participate in all their lives."

THE FIGURE EIGHT BIKE TRACK WITH BORDERING RUNS ADDS UP TO SLIGHTLY LESS THAN 1/5 OF A MILE ON A 90' x 180' LOT.

Bret McGinnis, Superintendent of Recreation in Cincinnati, Ohio did not have to read the National Leagues of Cities' report to know he had a problem. He was faced with a low budget, small space, active neighborhood, and a lot of energetic neighborhood bicyclists who had nowhere to cycle but on the crowded and dangerous neighborhood streets. McGinnis needed room—playing room, bicycling room, and looking room —that cost very little, and he did some sharp thinking to get all three rooms. In the process, he seems to have achieved most of the objectives outlined in the League's report.

McGinnis arranged to buy a condemned manufacturing building adjoining an existing overworked playground. After the building was removed, he had a vacant 90' x 180' lot. This gave him the looking room but fell far short of the needed bicycling room.

He knew that bicycles would make short shrift of this size lot, as would kids on skates, in pedal cars, or just about anything else. A straight run on a bicycle from one end of the lot to the other came to about four turns of the pedals. The bicyclists would soon be out of room but not out of breath. But, McGinnis had an idea for a Figure Eight Bike Track.

The completed track was shaped in a figure eight configuration with bordering runs which added up to slightly less than one-fifth of a mile. The new design offered an imaginative variety of turns, maneuvers, manipulations and the opportunity to play innumerable "chase" games on bicycles.

The five-foot concrete track, reinforced with steel mesh and dowled at the expansion joints for level riding amounted to about $4,000. Other locales could consider a less expensive surface, such as asphalt. The rest of the $58,000 total went for land purchase, retaining walls, fencing, benches, bike racks, real green grass, and trees for future shade. For this sum, the kids and residents of a crowded neighborhood in Cincinnati got a real fun place with bike running room, playing room, and looking room.

The bike track construction was funded by an Open Space Grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Providing matching funds on a 50-50 basis, the Grant enabled Cincinnati to expand and modernize four playgrounds.

Ray McGartney, Assistant Superintendent of Recreation, reports the Figure Eight Bike Track is enjoying heavy use. Commenting on the figure eight design he says, "It not only saves the green space, but is gives people a place to walk as well as ride. You can tell it's being used," he concluded, "just seeing all the people there . . . and the bicycle tire marks."

110 Illinois Parks July-August 1970