After a two-month hiatus, Calgary’s South Glenmore bicycle pump track is set to officially reopen this weekend.
“We shut it down to make some improvements,” Parks Foundation Calgary CEO Sheila Taylor said Wednesday. “We heard a lot of feedback from the public about how we could make it even better.”
The pump track originally opened in August 2020, but in April, the organization temporarily closed the site to accommodate some upgrades.
“We’ve added fencing, we’ve added better signage, more seating and just generally improved the park so it’s more enjoyable for everyone,” Taylor said.
One of the major concerns brought forward was the congestion seen around the pump track itself.
“The park has been tremendously popular,” cyclist Chris Doyle said. “I think some of the activities spilling onto the nearby pathway was a bit of an issue for pathway users.”
Parks Foundation Calgary, a non-profit organization, helped raise $700,000 for the project with contributions from donors, including families in the community.
“A lot of communities are in the same boat, and we’re working with them to help them get those dollars so they can have more great community amenities like this,” Taylor said.
“We’re inundated with requests to build more of these.”
The Parks Foundation is busy with another pump track slated for the community of Inglewood.
“It will be a world-class pump track,” Taylor said. “We’re going to have two separate tracks so it’s going to bring out a lot of people with young kids… but will still have the great challenge of an intermediate track as well.”
The Parks Foundation said it plans to break ground on the Inglewood site this summer and have the project completed by the fall.
“We want biking to be a rich experience,” Taylor said. “This really improves that experience.”
The tracks are made for all skill levels, with children as young as three testing out their skills.
“It’s a lot of fun but it’s a lot of work,” Doyle said. “It feels effortless when you’re going around the corners and just sort of the gravity of pulling you around the track.”
Parks Foundation Calgary is encouraging anyone interested in a similar project in their community to contact them for support.
“We help you figure out how to navigate the system, how to fundraise, how to change your dream into a reality,” Taylor said.