Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

MASTER PLAN ON STATE-BY-STATE BASIS ------"lrContinued from Cover) Cycling is now a half-billion dollar industry. In the frrst six months of 1970 motorcycle imports equaled the total for all of 1969. In 1970, cycle sales are at an annual rate ·of 11% of automobiles in terms of units sold. According to the Wall Street Journal, motorcycle registrations have risen 257% since About the Authors S'en and Tim Smith a.re associated with Benjamin E. Smith and Associates, management consultants. The firm has served a broad- cross-section of industry, including motorcycling and racing. Several years ago they began to develop the feasibility of commercial cycle parks, and recently, with other cycling enthusiasts, have formed Cycle Ranch Corporation, for the purpose of designing, developing, and operating cycle parks and related facilities. Tim is a graduate of U.S.C., with a B. Sc. in Industrial Management. He is a member of The Checkers M.e., and a 10 year competitor in desert and off-road racing. Ben founded Benjamin E. Smith and Associates six years ago, and is a graduate of the University of Redlands, with a Masters from U.S.C. He recently resigned as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Modular Dimensions, Inc., where he continlJes as a board member, and is also a member of the Board of Lancer Pacific, both public companies. 1961. During the same period auto registrations increased 34%. There will be more than 3 million cycles in use in 1971, including off-road cycles. Without question, motorcycling is where the action is. However, there IS need for a defini live study of motorcycling requirements during the 1970's which will serve as a basis for a program of action that will assure the continued growth of this form of recreation. Without a factual basis for action, the industry may find itself fighting a rear.guard action against those who would seal off public and private lands from motorcycling and other forms of veh icular recreation. A recent issue of the WaIl Street Journal proclaimed: "Motorcycle Safety Attrdcts'More Study by Legisl-ators as Cycle Use Soars", and indicated that six states now require cyclists to hurn headlights in the daytime as a "safety measure." Regulations on riding apparel Me being pushed. The cycle is suspect because of !wise and pollution. All of these problems bear directly upon the future of the motorcycle market. The Bureau of Land Management is studying the closing of large federal land areas to ycJists and other off-road vehicle enthusiasts because of ecological damage. In California, Red Rock Canyon in the Mojave Desert was recently closed to cyclists when it was made a state park. Like any other industry, the growth of cycling depends upon the growth of the market, and the growth of the market in turn depends upon ample places to ride and a public image which is not inimical to the public good. With certain exceptions, the developing trend of planning and legislation at present appears to be restrictive and regulatory. Cities, particularly, with limited land and congested populations, are beginning to ba n motorcycles off-road and to increase regulation on-road. Los Angeles recently banned. off-street use of minibikes, dune buggies, mo torcycles, and other recreational vehicles within the city limits. Other cities and counties have adopted similar measures. However, some governmental bodies, not the least of them the California Department of Parks and Recreation, are beginning to take the view that cycling is a sizable and legitimate form of family recreation, for which .provision should be made. California included motorcycle trails in its plans for the new State Park at Point Mugu (La Jolla valley) in the Santa Monica mountains near Los Angeles. Despite public protest against opening this area fOT intensive recreational use, as of last writing motorcycle trails were still included in plans. (Ed. Note: The cycle trails were deleted at the last moment, owing to pressure from ul ta-eonservatio nists.) Regulation and restriction can be expected to intensify during the seventies. Population will increase about 20 million in the next decade. A four-day work-week may accelerate the demand for recreational areas generally, which, since land is a limited commodity, will intensify the compeutlon for land areas as between various forms of recreation. How land is used, particularly land which is adjacent to and accessible from major population areas, will be a major concern to government agencies at all levels. Every form of recreation from bird-watching to hare and hounds will compete for space. Cyclists and the industry must be organized and unified in their approach to this competition if they are to get their fair share of land. A number of years ago when we first began to develop feasibility studies for cycle parks to be run on a commercial basis, we inclined to the idea that private enterprise alone might be able to provide the riding and competition areas needed by cyclists. However, the rapid increase in motorcyc1ists, the dune-buggy and snow-mobile and ATV phenomenon, and inflation in property costs all conspire to gainsay this notion. It is now difficult to see how the legitimate and growing needs of cyclists can be me~ except by join t-planning between the industry and government agencies. Since Federal lands are disproportionately spread throughout the States and counties, it is probable that what may be good as a land program in one State may not hold true In another. Also, vehicle regulations vary from state to state as well. Therefore, we believe that the approach to master-planning for the industry should be coordinated on a state by state basis with state agencies responsible for recreational planning. It will be simpler and less expensive to develop a pilot p,1an for one state on a combined government-industry basis, than for all fifty states. Since public acceptance of a master-plan for cycling is essential, the one-state approach is advantageous. Several things commend California as the 1rrst place in which to concentrate efforts by the industry and government to study the problem in depth and develop a master plan. It is the largest state in terms of registrations, one of the largest in terms of area, and substantial portions are Federal lands, thus necessitating coordination with the Federal government. Further, the California Department 0 f Parks and Recreation has taken a constructive and favorable view of motorcyclcing, thus _assuring cooperation. Lastly, the state is both urban and rural. The initiative for a state-wide master plan in any state should come from industry, if at all possible, rather than by imposition from government authorities. And this lllltlative of industry should be realistic, namely industry should be prepared to expect and to develop changes in equipment such as noise-suppression, spark-suppression, and smog-suppression devices in order to up-grade publi.c acceptance and minimize ecological problems. Industry should also take the lead in developing reasonable safety equipment and regulations, and other con trol measures to assure a good public image. With as many people and companies as there are involved in cycling at present, and with few home-based American companies involved in manufacture of cycles, the task of getting agreement on directions to be taken by the industry in order to develop the sport of cycling may seem prodigious. And it is for this very reason that a definitive study of the industry's needs for space and regulation is needed. Generally when facts are known and understood, actions become fairly obvious. We will be interested in hearing from those who helieve that a cycling master-plan is needed to assure the future of the industry with sensible regulations, and to provide riding areas on a programmed basis for cyclists. CAN U.S. RIDERS WIN? Dan Gurney, a guy who's won a few international races himself, thinks that one of these days we'll have a rider good enough to compete with anybody in Motocross, including such men as world champions Bengt Aberg and Joel Robert. But we can't compete if we don't enter. So we need a team. Gurney and a few other competitjve types like Dick Smothers and Steve McQueen have put up, front money to get the team started. But they need your help to support the team and give it a chance to win the title for your U.S. of A. Here's the deal. You send us at least $5 for the team. And we'll send you the official American MX Team patch (4 by 5 inches, cloth, shown above right) to wear with pride. Do it now or you might forget. RIDER I MANAGER o' the 19n American Moto-Cro•• Team ia 27-year-old Bryan Kenney, a veteran of European racing, with. dozen flnlahes of 5th or better to his credit. His experience In competing agalnlt the world', best rider' i' what we need to give our team a chance to win. Ru., Darnell, shown above with 08n Gurney, i' .Iated to be team captain. Send 55 or more to help the team and get the official cloth patch. Addre•• American Moto-Cross Team, P.O. Box 3276, Hollywood, Ca. 90028. -----------------------------American Moto-Cross Team P. O. Box 3276, Hollywood, Ca. 90028 Enclosed is my donation to help theAMXT win on the European Grand Prix Circuit. Send me the official cloth team patch and team bulletinS. Name ~-_-- Amount $ Address c''Y _ _ Stale Z,p _ "' '" '" ~ ,,; ..c: .. ~ ::; ~ w Z W ...J U >- U

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