Despite some opposition from neighbors, Tredyffrin Township supervisors unanimously approved a resolution to apply for a $250,000 grant for a bike skills/pump track at Mill Road Park. The park, located at 1400 Mill Road, is a 56-acre tract that has baseball and soccer fields. The township’s composting site is next to the fields. Tom McGarrigle, a resident of Eaves Spring Drive in the Malvern section of the township, asked the supervisors to slow down on making a decision to build the bike track. He asked the board to consider the environmental and parking impact. He also noted that in nearby Malvern, a referendum in the May primary resulted in a proposal for a bike track being defeated. Supervisor Sharon Humble said the township’s parks and recreation board has been reviewing the project for a year, noting there are a lot of dead trees in the park. In March, the supervisors hired engineering firm Pennoni for $8,400 to conduct a feasibility study for a bike track at the park. Pump tracks are trending in suburban neighborhoods. They allow riders to use an up-and-down pumping motion to propel the bike forward, instead of pedaling. The tracks have hilly dirt inclines and cover about a half-acre to an acre.

Source: Tredyffrin Patch; 5/23/2023