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<\/a>\ncut a red ribbon at a ceremony dedicating\n<\/a>\ncut a red ribbon at a ceremony dedicating\n\nPhase II of Freedom Park.<\/a>\nThe park’s new phase included a walking track,\ndisc golf course, and a dog park. The addition of the small dog park\nto Freedom Park’s amenities was largely the result of a motivated\ngroup of citizens who urged the Authority to build the leash-free\nexercise and play space. 444 locals signed an online petition\n\n![](\"http:\/\/valdostadailytimes.com\/archive\/x1776835187\/g0a0000000000000000d0f49efe7bbeb802c053bc0aeb4f73c4552d37dd.jpg\")
<\/a>\nrequesting that the VLPRA “create an off-leash dog park,\naccessible to all residents and visitors where pets can safely be\ntaken for exercise and play.” As a result of this community\ninvolvement, park visitors now have a safe and shaded spot to enjoy\na game of fetch with Fido.\n\nThe mission of the VLPRA is\n
\n“to provide quality Recreation\nand Parks, and to advance environmental conservation, which promotes\nthe highest quality of life for the entire community.”\n<\/blockquote>\nIn the\nupcoming months,\nthe VLPRA will begin revising its master plan.\n\n\n\n<\/a>\nAccording to the Director of the Authority this will be a time to\nassess previous projects and plan for upcoming ones. These meetings\nwill also offer an opportunity for citizen involvement in the\nplanning process. These meetings will be held in January and\nFebruary and the VLPRA will begin advertising them in the upcoming\nweeks. These meetings will give ordinary citizens the opportunity to\ndiscuss the kinds of projects we would like to see the Authority\npursue.\n
\nAt the November City Council Meeting Lee Jones, a local cyclist,\nwalked up to the podium at City Hall and spoke on the need for a\nbike park in Valdosta. He explained that he doesn’t feel comfortable\nallowing his daughter to ride her bike on Valdosta’s streets and\nsuggested that a bike park would be a safe alternative. To borrow\nthe language of the dog park advocates, one could argue that\nValdosta should “create a bike park, accessible to all\nresidents and visitors where cyclists can safely ride for exercise\nand play.”\n
\nWhen I learned about these meetings I began asking around the local\nbike scene for suggestions. “A velodrome,” replied one\navid rider. As he explained, the project could be expensive, but\nwould draw in tourists since the nearest track is in Atlanta.\nAnother rider suggested looking into Ray’s Mountain Bike Park which\nturns abandoned warehouses into bike parks. “Imagine,”\nhe told me, “The Remerton Mill loaded with inclines, berms,\nand jumps for mountain bikers and bmxers.” A park like the\nones featured at\n\nraysmtb.com<\/a> would be a welcomed topographical\nalternative given the mostly flat surfaces around Valdosta. Others\nhave suggested a cheaper option of setting up a cyclocross course at\nFreedom Park, which could be done easily and would also attract\nriders from around the Southeast.\n
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<\/a>\nmake Valdosta a more bike friendly city? Then begin considering what\nkind of projects you would like to see in the community and plan to\nattend the upcoming VLPRA meetings.\n