Windsor City Council is moving ahead with two new off-road cycling tracks that some believe will put the city on the "mountain biking map."
Single-user trails will be established at both Malden Park and Little River Corridor Park.
Trails at Little River will be geared toward families and beginners, while trails at Malden will take advantage of the park's existing elevation and topography, featuring beginner, intermediate and advanced trails.
The report was generated after what the project consultant calls extensive consultation with the off-road cycling community.
Council did express some concern over user safety and whether that poses a legal risk for the city.
"The trail design and user management is a huge way we can manage and mitigate risk and duty of care,” says Justin Truelove, the trails specialist hired by the city to oversee the project. “The other thing is the communication piece, the signage, letting people know what they're getting themselves into."
The $500,000 plan passed Monday with some modifications that will keep safety top of mind.
“All types of recreation programming and infrastructure carries some level of risk, but you design it in a way that will mitigate and minimize some of that risk, and that's what we did, that's why we brought in a professional to help us design it," says Windsor’s Parks are Rec Executive Director, Jan Wilson
