I realize that this question is a far reach. However, I will ask it anyways. Has anybody ever lobbied their city to install a public track, or have any helpful information? I'm considering starting a non profit in an attempt to have more public track facilities installed on the West coast. There just doesn't seem to be many (if any) options, especially in the San Diego area.
This is a real problem. In recent years, tracks have increasingly become inaccessible, which is bad for the public and bad for track and road runners. It is really a matter of public health, as well as a question of cultivating international sports. Our local high school locks its track. No public access ever. It is an asphalt track. Both local universities also keep their tracks locked up and one of them has started policing that. A local middle school I pass on long runs keeps its track locked up. There is one elementary school track and one elementary/middle school track (both asphalt and old) that I know of that are open to the public in this region of millions of people (one is 8 miles away, the other about 15). Most of these tracks were built with public dollars and are always inaccessible. I can understand closing them during school and practice.
Its definitely a real problem. I'm tempted to start lobbying for them. Obviously, more public facilities would be great for the sport.
Locking them up probably started after psychos realized they're easy targets to shoot up.
Disko Eric wrote:
Locking them up probably started after psychos realized they're easy targets to shoot up.
Or, in reality, AD's and coaches got tired of people tearing up equipment and making a mess.
I understand at the college level because they can claim donor funding paid for it. But I think high school tracks should be open to all from like 4 or 5 until dusk or something. Obviously you can't have randos using the track during school hours or when a school team/event is using it. But using it at 6 AM or 7 PM, for instance, isn't going to inconvenience the school in any way.
Here our high schools have tracks and all the public high schools have publicly funded tracks. I can't think of any that aren't accessible. Even if they are in locked stadiums every single one I know of has a window during the day when they are opened.
I'm sure I may have not tried one that is always locked and an exception but even the one in my city inside a big new high school football stadium is open to the public 8a to 3p M-F unless the school is using it.
This is all fine for runners, etc. But, what about field event athletes? PV'ers can bring their own poles, but what about pits? What about hurdles? Broke and bent hurdles are the result you get when left out. What about throws areas? You can't have rando's on a track and implements flying all over the place.
Is it ironic that my local track is always open and rarely used and I have had no intention for years of stepping foot on it with such a luscious grass cross country course to run on all around it?