Solution For a Safer Ride - Essay # 2: Final Draft

Try driving around the town of Fairbanks, Alaska for a day and you are sure to see at least a couple people riding around on snowmachines or ATVs. There’s nothing wrong with people having fun riding these machines, the only problem is that they are often riding within a few feet of fast moving road traffic, or riding on trails not designed for recreational use. It seems like every year there is at least a couple deaths here in the Interior due to accidents involving recreational vehicles and automobiles. Although it may cost the city some extra money, Fairbanks needs to build its residents a recreational trail system because it would provide a safer riding environment, plus help both local land owners, and recreational riders.
It’s funny to think that a city packed full of ATV and snowmachine owners, not to mention an abundance of unused land, doesn’t really have any type of established trail system for recreational riders. There are a few trails throughout town that riders use, but these trails are supposed to be cross-country ski trails in the winter, and hiking/walking trails in the summer. There have been many arguments from skiers who are upset because their trails are getting torn up by snowmachine tracks, and both skiers and hikers are upset when riders come flying by, barely avoiding them on the narrow trails. Their frustration is completely understandable. These encounters are often very dangerous, and are largely due to the absence of trails for the recreational riders.
If the city would be willing to build its citizens a good recreational trail system, It would greatly reduce the dangerous encounters between riders and pedestrians. Head out of town for five minutes in nearly any direction and there is an endless supply of unused land. This land would provide perfect riding conditions for riders, and would keep snowmachiners and ATV riders off of hiking trails and bike paths. This way, riders could enjoy nice trails without having to worry about coming across hikers or skiers, and the pedestrians would be able to enjoy their trails without having to jump out of the way of high speed machines.
It would probably be safe to assume that the biggest reason there is no trail system is because of the cost. While the initial laying out of the trail system could possibly cost the city quite a bit of money, the fallow up costs would be minimal. During the summer months there would be almost no expenses except for maybe the occasional clearing of timber. During the winter, the city could choose to pack and smooth the trails, but with the high amount of traffic that would likely be on the paths, this wouldn’t really be necessary. Spending a bit of money over one summer clearing out trees and establishing trails would be well worth many years of increased safety for the people of Fairbanks.
Another big problem with the current riding situation in the interior is that local land owners are having trouble keeping riders off of their land. Driving through nearly any neighborhood in town during the winter months will show that there is a big problem with snowmachiners driving through the lawns of homeowners. Most people just don’t understand the damage that is being done by their machines. They think that because the snow is there, the ground underneath isn’t being harmed, but what happens is that the snow becomes so compacted, that air can not get down to the ground, and ends up suffocating the grass and killing it permanently. After the snow melts, it’s easy to identify the areas where snowmachines had spent the winter traveling back and forth.
It’s hard to blame the snowmachiners for this problem when they are simply trying to find places to ride. A lot of snowmachiners and ATV riders have to travel out of town to find good riding areas, and those who ride in town are usually doing so because they don’t have a choice. A lot of the town riders are either too young to drive themselves out of town, or simply don‘t have the money it takes to take trips out to good riding areas. They are forced to live with what they have here within the city limits, and that mostly consists of either cross-country ski trails or private property where they are not welcome.
The city of Fairbanks isn’t entirely to blame for the lack of good riding trails. The people who live in the area simply are not getting involved in making any changes. Sure, there are private conversations between riders who wish there were better places to go riding, and the hikers/skiers are sure letting the riders know what they think, but not enough people are stepping up to talk with local government about fixing the problem. Most people probably think that their voice wont make a big enough impact to change anything, but similar arguments have brought about changes in other areas around Fairbanks. For instance, last summer there was a bike path put in from Geist Rd. going out towards Ester. The project took all summer, and undoubtedly consumed a large amount of city budget, but the city was willing to invest in the project because it improved safety for it’s citizens. If enough people went to the city government, or even just signed a petition, I believe there would be a good chance of seeing new recreational trails being built in the near future.
We need to make the city understand that it would be beneficial to everyone if their were a few trails where riders could go have fun without harming land or endangering other people. It would cost the city some extra money, but the money would be well spent if put towards recreational trails. After all, one of the duties of a city government is to keep it’s citizens safe and happy, and these trails would do just that. With a city full of people who enjoy riding their ATVs and snowmachines, it only makes sense to build them a place to do so safely, and out of the way of pedestrians and road traffic.