Patrick HIlton
District 3
What is your experience with off-road cycling? Do you have a favorite trail to ride?
I had an off road bicycle for a short time when I lived in the Chicago area and I have done off-road biking with a friend a few times at Powell Butte. Powell Butte was a really fun place to bike in.
The Off-road Cycling Master Plan (ORCMP) was published by the City in 2023 after a robust public process. It found that Portland suffers from a severe lack of opportunities for off-road cycling despite Portland’s cycling reputation. Are you committed to advancing the goals of the ORCMP in your district? Why or why not? Off-Road Cycling Master Plan for reference: https://www.portland.gov/bps/planning/off-road-cycling/documents
Yes. I think this kind of activity would attract more tourism to the area as well as give those passionate about the activity more options to explore.
NWTA is a City of Portland partner with a proven track record in building, restoring, and maintaining high-quality, sustainable trails for multiple user groups, in addition to providing cycling and stewardship programming for Portlanders. To what degree would you help strengthen and promote partnerships with groups like NWTA to support City staff and improve our public parks?
I would help connect NWTA to Portland Parks by legitimizing off-road biking as a healthy activity choice for those wanting to participate in Portland Parks and Recreation activities. I would also include trail design and construction, maintenance , and habitat restoration to a list of volunteer activities that I support for District 3 residents to participate in.
For over 40 years, the City of Portland has blocked all efforts to provide meaningful multi-use trail access in Forest Park. Now, the City’s ORCMP (page 72) has a number of recommendations for Forest Park that bring environmentally sustainable multi-use trails online and follow the Forest Park Natural Resources Management Plan process. Are you willing to make sustainable off-road cycling trail improvements a priority to improve trailhead congestion, environmental concerns and access for all Portlanders to Forest Park?
Yes I would. I think a portion of Forest Park can be devoted to this activity as long as the trails don’t become a reason that the environmental quality to water and animal and plant habitat became degraded.