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Velodrome tops public wish list for park
By Mark Ferenchik
The Columbus Dispatch
Saturday October 29, 2011
Picture yourself driving down Whittier Street toward the Scioto Audubon Metro Park, hoping to see migrating birds. Instead, you come across a blur of speeding bicyclists. In a velodrome. A velo-what?
Why would you see one at a Metro Park? It was the top pick among young professionals asked what they’d like to see at the park, which opened south of Downtown in 2009.
Analogue Kid
5th by West-Northwest
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I'm in the heart of the targeted YP demographic, and this doesn't seem like a good idea to me, at least not for a Metro Park. Sounds like one group stuffed the ballot box and most other people didn't vote. The ideas for a wooded area with trails, a disc golf course and a community garden seem much more appropriate.
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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The Whittier Peninsula is huge. There's room for wooded areas (already there), community gardens, rock climbing walls (already there), boat docks (already there), tennis courts (planned), disc golf, dog parks (already there)...
...and a Velodrome.
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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GCrites80s
5xNW
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They race R/C cars on these. Top speeds over 100mph during Insane Speed Runs! The map Walker posted still shows the impound lot in its old location, so add that as usable space as well.
goldenidea
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I'm for expanding bicycle-related resources ANYWHERE in and around the city, especially areas in and near downtown. Just last Sunday AM I was doing bicycle laps at Audubon Metro Park. It's a very nice, and so far, quiet and empty place to ride to and around. A velodrome here might work here. There is a lot of space available.
How about a velodrome at Cooper Stadium instead? Do a bike-related development there instead of cars or motorcycles. That would sure take care of the noise concerns many have. Expand bicycle access to Franklinton and over to Audubon Metro. My hunch is there's a lot more folk interested in bicycling in and around downtown than there are in NASCAR. And bicycling interest continues to grow!
How about a velodrome on the south end of Jeffery Place? Or over in the western part of the Arena District, around where the casino was to go? A bicycle bridge across the Olentangy from the Olentagy Path to the Arena district would be useful. Same would apply to a bridge across the Scioto from around Audubon to south Franklinton.
For the velodrome, there are several locations that might work as well as Audubon, near downtown, but they may not be on park land.
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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goldenidea said:
For the velodrome, there are several locations that might work as well as Audubon, near downtown, but they may not be on park land.
I don't think any of the private developers who own the land you mention are interested in building a velodrome. I could be wrong though. ;)
michaelcoyote
!seabus
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I could see this working in Columbus if implemented well. Track cycling is a great sport and the rarity of velodromes could draw in visitors from hundreds of miles away or further if they set up for events. I'm sure the OSU cycling team would host NCCA track races here if given the chance.
As for a velodrome being niche, they have a climbing wall which is pretty niche as well.
I wanted a velodrome in Columbus for years. Now I live about 20 miles from Hellyer Park velodrome and the first thing I did when I got my bikes here was to break my track iron :-p
Coy
Discovery District
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An poorly advertised Facebook poll hardly seems the right way to decide what to build in a public park. I never saw it, for one...
I know many people have been calling for a disc golf course in that area for quite some time, including written and email requests from myself personally. I believe that it has also been brought up by the local Disc Golf club, the Columbus Flyers, to the city on more than one occasion also.
I'm not against a velodrome, but I think more people would get use out of a disc golf course.
All the courses in the area are well used, but none are right downtown, and OSU's course is the only one that easy to get to via bike.
I actually like the idea of there being a velodrome in town, but this doesn't seem to be an ideal spot, despite it's location relative the bike path. Seems to me, closer to OSU (Fred Beekman park for example) makes more sense.
What, if any, are the issues with people wanting to race and/or train while kids want to ride around for fun? Putting this smack dab in the middle of a family-based neighborhood park would seem to create those issues.
Not to mention the increase in the hipster quotient for downtown, which is already through the roof.
goldenidea
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I don't think any of the private developers who own the land you mention are interested in building a velodrome. I could be wrong though. ;)
I suppose it depends on the economics of this vs. alternative uses. Yeah, perhaps western Arena District land is too valuable, but it might depend on the draw it will have. With all of the hipsters and bike lover running around the Short North, it does have potential to be a popular facility. But obviously, it's not a major league sport (not that the CBJ, our sole sport of this calibre, is an economic powerhouse itself at the moment).
Contruction costs might be low enough to allow temporary placement somewhere that would be earmarked for later development to a higher use. Take the south end of Jeffery Place for example... not much happening there at the moment and perhaps not for quite a few years.
Here's a neat summary list of velodromes all around the US. Look at all of the "cool" cities that have velodromes! There ought to be a place somewhere around our downtown to tuck something like this into. OSU would be OK too, but don't they have enough sports facilities?
leftovers
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I think something like this is almost a no brainer. There are a ton of people with fixed gear bikes in Columbus and this would give a real boost to biking culture in Columbus. Recreational and commuter cycling is nice, but there is so much more that this velodrome would open up.
I also don't think this only appeals to hipsters. Regardless, the anti-hipster talk seems misguided.
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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lazyfish said:
how about a wooded area with nature trails and plenty of open space. Why do we have to fill the park with amenities when a park in an urban area is an amenity.
There's already wooded areas, trails and open space there. And there's still room for more.
Different types of amenities for different people. Not everyone has the exact same preferences as you.
goldenidea
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I agree, hipsters are just an example of one group that would likely embrace it. It would enhance the city's reputation as having an emerging, viable bike culture. Indianapolis has one!
I notice that a few of them are at least part made of wood. Maybe it could built in modules so it could be movable.
Mister MooCow
Near Mooney's Mansion
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Walker said:
There's already wooded areas...
Hmm, I'm not seeing those on the map above -- I see some riparian buffer, but not what I would call "wooded areas". Are there other areas planned that aren't shown on the map (or on Google Map's satellite image)?
It'd be really good for wildlife to have many acres of canopy, not just a thin strip of trees along the river.
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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Mister MooCow said:
Hmm, I'm not seeing those on the map above -- I see some riparian buffer, but not what I would call "wooded areas". Are there other areas planned that aren't shown on the map (or on Google Map's satellite image)?It'd be really good for wildlife to have many acres of canopy, not just a thin strip of trees along the river.
Yes, I was referring to the bike path and boat launch areas which are surrounded by woods.
I agree that it would be great for wildlife to have many acres of canopy, but unless you can travel back in time 40 years to plant new trees, it's not happening here anytime soon.
Anyway, we have a wonderful system of Metroparks, each a bit different, and some vastly more wooded than others. I don't see any problem with the one located Downtown being a bit more urban-centric with amenities such as a velodrome or a skate park or other things like that.
Likes Old Houses
Harrison West
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I would love to see this, and the Metro Park would be a great spot in my opinion. I am not a hipster, but I have done duathalons and having a place to do training would be great. You can't ride very fast on the trails (speed limit) and the city streets have to many intersections to get a good ride. A place to do some serious training would be great for anyone training for duathalons/triathalons/circuit races, etc.
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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leftovers said:
Regardless, the anti-hipster talk seems misguided.
Agreed. Hipsters are young, urban-centric people who ride bikes and spend money at local establishments. If anything, Columbus need more of these types of people.
The whole "I'm better than those lame hipsters, let's all make fun of them" mindset is a tired one at this point.
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