Controversial Cycling Restrictions in Miesbach: A Division in Alpine Trails
contentiousdiscourse surrounding trails' accessibility for mountain biking; controversy persists on whether to prohibit or permit cyclists on certain scenic paths - Parliament Endorses European Report
Hikers and mountain bikers - they don't always see eye to eye. And sometimes landowners, like farmers and forest owners, aren't too keen on cyclists roaming their territory. The Miesbach district is considering implementing strict restrictions on mountain biking.
The regulations for six landscape protection areas need a revamp because the original maps are MIA. This refresh means biking on alpine and forest paths as narrow as 1.5 meters is set to be prohibited, according to the Süddeutsche Zeitung's scoop.
Criticism from biking associations - steering towards a total ban?
The German Alpine Club (DAV) and the German Initiative Mountainbike (DIMB) have some strong words for these plans, initially claiming a ban on paths wider than 2.5 meters. "This suggests an almost complete ban on cycling in the Miesbach district due to the size of these landscape protection areas," the associations argue in their statement. Even if it’s only 1.5 meters, the criticism remains unchanged, we're now told. They plan to exclude specific designated paths and MTB trails from the regulation.
Biking bans - affecting more than just the trails?
"These bans will primarily impact local cyclists," the paper contends. Restrictions could also affect school and shopping routes, it hints.
The district office swiftly dismissed these concerns. "We won't snatch any school route from a child," their spokesperson assured. It’s about finding a balance between landowners and mountain bikers, they added, with future trail development still on the table.
Not a total ban - but close!
It's not a proposal for a complete ban on cycling in the Miesbach district. The north and the Leitzachtal are out of the quandary. Popular tours on forest roads like the Erzherzog-Johann-Runde, the Wallberg-Runde, Auer Alm, Neureuth, or Valepp are still feasible.
Respecting landowner rights
The district office must take landowners’ rights into account, reminds Josef Faas from the Lower Nature Conservation Authority. "In the wild, without landowners' consent, not a single pure MTB trail can be designated," he contends.
The newly refurbished regulations will be put to a vote by the district council following a public debate in July. However, a decision is unlikely before October.
Path width as a criterion - Bavaria paving a new path?
DIMB’s Thomas Holz suggests that the new regulations could leave only around a handful of trails for cyclists in the district. This would mark the first time in Bavaria a ban is imposed based on path width, as is already the case in Baden-Württemberg. Unfortunately, these regulations have often led cyclists to explore wild trails instead, Holz shares.
Holz also points to the Ministry of the Environment's administrative guideline for implementing the Bavarian Nature Conservation Act: "In principle, prescribing a minimum width for a path should be rejected on constitutional grounds, as narrow paths are not automatically considered unfit," the guideline asserts. Instead, various factors should be taken into account, like trail condition, potential long-term harm to the natural space, erosion risk, and pedestrian safety.
Case-by-case approach - old conflicts, new solutions
"Each situation should be assessed individually," pleads Nicolas Gareis from the DAV. The ongoing steering group for mountain biking, consisting of district office and association reps, aspires to develop tailored offers and guide cyclists accordingly.
- The controversies over cycling restrictions in Miesbach extend to the German Alpine Club and the German Initiative Mountainbike, who argue that the proposed regulations could effectively ban cycling within the district due to the narrow paths they stipulate.
- According to Thomas Holz from DIMB, the revised regulations might leave only a few cycling trails available in the Miesbach district, marking a novel approach in Bavaria, as path width becomes a criterion for biking restrictions, similar to practices in Baden-Württemburg.
- Josef Faas from the Lower Nature Conservation Authority emphasizes the importance of taking landowners' rights into account when designing MTB trails, reinforcing that no trails can be sanctioned without landowner consent.
