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Update from Manly Dam Rangers
Dear Riders,Due to the amount of sunshine we have been experiencing the track is finally drying up. We are still experiencing an extreme level of non-compliance, which of course, makes it extremely tricky to get the track ready for use again. Thank you for all of you who do not use the track during this time. We are open to suggestions regarding reaching more people about track closure and its importance.
In light of the good weather, we are hoping to get a small amount of track maintenance done and then hope to have the tack re-opened by Thursday afternoon. Please remain off the track until you hear that it is officially open. This is especially important given the maintenance taking place and the safety of the people carrying it out.
Kind Regards,
Manly Dam Rangers
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Let's hope the weather holds out.
Mmmm, one way for the rangers to ping any numpty riding when it's officially closed if they're doing
"We are open to suggestions regarding reaching more people about track closure and its importance."
In all seriousness, what about a council maintained manlydam.org.au site for closure announcements?
One simple site, backed up by signs at the track advising ppl to check the site before they come. I think a big part of the problem carloads of guys turning up after driving across town not knowing about the closure. And not knowing about this site.
otherwise there wouldn't be moto's in National Parks. They know they're not supposed to be there, but short of carting it a couple of hours out of Sydney, there's nowhere to ride, and the odds of getting caught are often pretty slim. Some will always take those odds.
It's the same with mtb's. If Manly Dam is closed, even gates won't stop some people from riding it. Better notice will help turn some away when its closed. More alternatives closer than Ourimbah, Yellowmundie and Appin will also mean less pressure on Manly and better compliance. Not much Manly Council can do about that, I admit, but mtb riders need to keep up the lobbying efforts.
It's been said a million times before, but the rangers still need to be told?
As we all know, there should be at least two large signs at Manly Dam that act as a notice board for riders and other users. One by the school and one by the parkway entrance are obvious choices. These should have all the information there is on the dam, but importantly should explain why riding the trails when officially closed is a bad thing.
The other key is rider culture. It's not big and it's not clever to get covered in mud, wreck your bike and take half the trail home on your down tube and backpack. Save that for tracks that can take it, or events that built the track specifically for the job or where organisers will repair any damage done after - the Jetblack twenty four hours Sydney springs to mind
Only when every rider knows how things work in the long run can we hope to get close to the compliance numbers required.
Many people think we talk about advocacy too much here, but that is part of riding. No trails == no riding - simple as that. They are completely intertwined. To get there everyone needs to do their bit - to get involved themselves and explain to those new to the sport (bike shops need to do this most) what advocacy is all about.
If you're reading this I may be preaching to the quire... sorry about that
I can't believe nobody has dug a huge pit and covered it with sticks and leaves to catch one? Surely they would taste great after roasting on a spit for a couple hours. Maybe a cauldron (soup) type of thing would be better?
piano wire across the tracks at chest height would be good too or better still have Rangers near the entry points too the track 15 metres in & start fining ppl
+ 1 for fining people who ignore the track closed signs , maybe then the silly buggers might soon learn to read .
As for me i got the rangers email and stayed away although we might see a few more track closed days as we may be having a wet summer.
Better signage would be good too... at every entry point to the dam trail... and fines!! with money to go towards track maintenance.... but there will always be idiots...
Inform people before they have geared up and ridden to the trail entrance, perhaps riders will be more likely to pay attention to the closed signs if they are staring at them the whole time they are getting their gear ready.
Websites and email mesages indicating that the track is closed are not reaching enough riders. Help from bike shops is needed in getting word out to their customers, could be as simple as a sign on the counter.
In the case of a long closure like the current one a weekly update Thurday/Friday would be good to remind people before they plan for their weekend. Anyone have a picture of the closed signs? Do they indicate how people can get on the email list or website to find out about the track status? I only know about the email list through this site and I've never looked at the council website.
Fines will not fix anything, does the threat of speeding fines stop people speeding?
The THREAT of fines won't, but the high probability of getting pinged certainly does. People need ot be made to feel they'll probably get caught so that taking the chance isn't worth it. You need to back the threat with commitment and action. There is zero point in making the threat otherwise - it just sends the message that you're all hot air.
You'll never get 100% compliance from any measure save paving the entire trail with bed-of-nails tiles, but I reckon people actually getting fined for being selfish #!&%heads would bring about a significant improvement.
Actually, I reckon that if someone is a 'selfish #!&%head' as you put it, being fined would only alienate them and make them more likely to disrespect authority and try and get away with it next time. This is the stick.
You have to convince people it's a bad idea to break the rules in the first place and reward them for not riding. With better facilities that don't fall apart perhaps? But you won't need better facilities - they can be the same facilities as they won't fall apart if people do the right thing. This is the carrot.
Dunno... this is probably too idealistic
Neither all stick nor all carrot will work. There needs to be a balance between the two. A bit of stick possibly makes the carrot sweeter? (principle of perceptual contrast)
Medium and long term, we need weatherproof trails.
A bit more trail armor and regular maintenance by the regulars could help. When the sun is shining neither the stick or the carrot are going to have an impact.
Regarding fines... Were talking about people who spend several $k on a bike (or bikes as seems to be the case). A $100 fine is a pain in the arse but it's not a deterrent.