A trio of Yorkton residents; Lee Rusnak, James Stephenson and Todd Rusnak appeared before the regular Yorkton Council meeting on Monday to present the idea of ​​a “pump track” in the city.

For those unfamiliar with pump lanes “A pump lane is a one to three meter wide track that can be used for cyclists, skateboards, inline skates, and scooters for practice. skills on a series of functionalities, such as berms and rollers placed in rapid succession ”, details their report to the Council.

“These are basically scaled-down BMX tracks that don’t require pedaling. The term “pump” refers to the action of cyclists pushing down with their arms and legs to maneuver the bike or board above the features to maintain momentum without pedaling or pushing off the ground. Typically, the tracks can be walked continuously and different combinations of features can be linked to provide a varied challenge. Bike handling skills can be transferred to other mountain bike trails. Well-designed pumping tracks are suitable for all abilities, all features can be rolled for beginners and allow progression to pumping, and even jumping for more advanced riders. Riding on a pump track is easy, and kids are generally comfortable using them in 10-20 minutes.

“A well-designed pumping track offers enough challenges to remain attractive for years to come, as the rollers and berms can be combined and transposed in different directions, allowing experienced riders to do jumps and maneuvers. Pumping tracks can be made from natural soil, hardened surfaces, wood, fiberglass, concrete or asphalt. Historically, pump tracks were constructed from natural soil mixtures and required significant ongoing maintenance. More recently, global best practices are moving towards less maintenance-free surfacing techniques and materials, such as asphalt, which are inclusive for a larger user base of wheeled sports, including skateboarding. , scooters, inline skates and non-mountain bikes.

Lee Rusnak told Yorkton this week on Friday that he was unaware of the pump runs until he met Stephenson through his brother Todd.

It turned out that Stephenson, who had moved to the city from Australia, was part of a team that designs pump tracks around the world.

“That’s how I stumbled upon the idea… They’re all the rage right now,” said Lee Rusnak, adding a pump track “… Is a perfect community thing” as it can accommodate from five-year-old cyclists to the elderly.

“This is exactly what Yorkton needs, a low maintenance recreational facility.”

Typically, a track is designed with three separate loops, with varying degrees of challenge, Rusnak explained, with the “ green ” loop being ideal for wheelchairs and five-year-olds with scooters, the loop ” black ” for cyclists wishing to do 360-tail whips, and the ‘blue’ loop a little in between.

The proposal to Council showed three possible track designs based on three possible locations, with a cost range of $ 150,000 to $ 400,000 that includes design, construction and landscaping, but not drainage, said Rusnak, adding that they needed the Town’s advice on this aspect or the proposed constructions.

The first of the sites; Heritage Heights Park has a huge area of ​​turf and could easily accommodate a pump runway of various sizes and shapes. This site will accommodate future pump track extensions or additional bicycle park facilities such as jump lines, bicycle playgrounds, skill classes, apprenticeship classes, etc.

The Gloria Hayden Leisure Center has an existing parking lot and a large amount of unused grass in front of it that could easily accommodate a pump track. Services will be easily connected to both the street and Gloria Hayden on the adjacent boundaries. Facilities and shelter are available at Gloria Hayden.

Weinmaster Park is a hive of activity that is well connected to adjacent neighborhoods with a high rate of young families. The identified site is north of the toboggan run in a long, thin section of the park. A smaller trail could be developed but will be a very popular spot given the amount of traffic the park already receives.

Although the 2021 budget has been established, the Council has expressed interest.

“I think it’s just a fantastic idea,” Councilor Darcy Zaharia said, adding that he viewed a pumping lane as a “super cheap” option in terms of outdoor recreation. “… I think it gets people out, makes them active.”

Mayor Mitch Hippsley was also on the side of the principle.

“I’m all for family amenities,” he said, also noting that the idea of ​​the track could be an inexpensive addition to the city.

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