NEW PUMPTRACK IN GRANT PARK
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Celebrating New Installation
The City Parks and Recreation Department will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, July 19 at 4:00 pm to celebrate the new bicycle pump track in Grant Park and the public is invited to attend.
After months of collecting dust in storage at the Santa Cruz Shakespeare facility the City Parks Department needed to find a new home for the $60,000 bicycle pump track that had been donated by the Rotary Club in 2016. The pump track was originally located behind the Santa Cruz County Building at the San Lorenzo Park Benchlands, but due to the potential for flooding, it had to be removed each winter. In their search for a new location, the newly formed neighborhood “Grant Park Neighbors’ eagerly jumped at the chance to add yet another amenity to their park.
“I couldn’t believe the pump track was available. I remember seeing kids on it when it was in the Benchlands behind the County Building and thought ‘how cool is that’?! To be able to dust off this $60,000 gift and share it with all of Santa Cruz has been fantastic!” said Peter Glynn.
A pump track is a circuit of rollers, banked turns and features designed to be ridden completely by riders "pumping" or generating momentum by up and down body movements, instead of pedaling or pushing. It was originally designed for the mountain bike and BMX scene, and now is also used by skateboard and scooter riders, as well as roller- and inline-skaters. Pump tracks are relatively simple to use and cater to a wide variety of skill levels of all ages. They can be made of different materials or formed out of the ground itself as is the large pump track in Harvey West Park.
The City of Santa Cruz Parks & Recreation Department sought a new, permanent location where the pump track could be located to best serve the community and posted notices for two meetings where neighbors could come and see what the pump track might look like and ask questions and share concerns.
The “Grant Park Neighbors” group enthusiastically supported the installation at the Grant Park and it has been a welcomed addition to the park. The installation took two days to complete. Riders of all shapes and sizes lined up to try it out immediately and it has been heavily utilized ever since.
“We were thrilled to have the former San Lorenzo pump track brought over to Grant Park. Our six year old has been riding that track since he was three and we loved the convenience of how close it was to our house. Now that it's at Grant Park we can go and blow off some afternoon steam, get good exercise and spend time together as a family doing something we all love to do,” said Karissa Paxton.
“The pump track has been a well-received addition to Grant Park and we are glad to know that the neighborhood is engaged and supportive of this amenity that will serve an area that is home to many young families. We are very grateful for the Rotary Club’s contribution that made this possible,” said Parks & Recreation Director Tony Elliot.
Grant Park has many amenities including an off-leash dog area, bocce and basketball courts, and playgrounds. There are many picnic tables and barbecue pits available on a first-come, first-served basis with no permits required. There is a youth softball/baseball/kick-ball field and diamond that also often has early morning Tai-Chi classes. The park is open from sunrise to sunset.
