By Theresa Knapp 

The Holliston Select Board has approved the concept of moving forward with a bike park at town-owned land at 260 Woodland Street. 

At a board meeting on Jan. 27, members of the town’s Parks & Recreation Committee and Recreation Department described the proposed concept, seeking support from the Select Board because it is on town-owned land. 

 

Director of Recreation Mark Frank told the board, “The Parks & Rec Commission recently voted to support the concept of a bike park and so we’re here tonight to share the concept of a bike park…We’re looking for the Select Board to say ‘Yes, let’s pursue this as the preferred use of 260 Woodland [Street]; see where it goes, and see if we can make it happen.’” 

Shaw Lively, Chairperson of the town’s Parks & Recreation Commission, explained why the project is getting a bump at this time. 

“The thing that really got the ball rolling in a more significant and serious way on this particular usage on this site was that we were granted a state allocation that’s going to allow us to do a number of things, but one of the things it allowed us to do was contract with Nielsen Thomas to do a feasibility study of this site, 260 Woodland Street.” 

Lively said a recent town survey showed the town has two recreational priorities: pickle ball courts and a “bike-park-type-concept.” Lively said a town consultant determined the Woodland Street parcel would be ideal for a bike park, and said the Commission plans to seek Community Preservation Fund money to build pickleball courts at a different location. 

“What we’re really looking to do tonight is just to make sure that the town is on board with the concept,” said Lively. “I think it’s an important first step before we get too far down that rabbit hole to make sure that the town has buy-in.” 

In a presentation to the board, Mike Carvalho with the Holliston Bike Park group said his goal is to “build a community bike park in collaboration with local partners to enhance the Holliston Rail Trail and provide a recreational space for all ages.” 

He said the project is a proposed collaboration between the town, its residents, and the New England Mountain Bike Association with a goal “to provide a recreational space that fosters outdoor activity, skill development, and community engagement.” 

Carvalho said the park would be a “facility for [non-motorized] cycling activities like mountain biking, BMX, and dirt jumping” and would offer areas for riders of all skill levels. 

In his presentation, Carvalho explained that, while the Holliston park has yet to be designed, common features of a bike park include: 

Pump Track: A continuous loop of small rollers and berms designed to be ridden without pedaling by using body movements (pumping). 

Skills Area: A section with technical features like rock gardens, skinnies (narrow bridges), and small drops to help riders develop their handling abilities. 

Jump Lines: Sequences of dirt jumps that range from beginner-friendly tabletop jumps to advanced gap jumps. 

Carvalho said funding for the project would be from “grants, donations, and contributions from local businesses, partners, and residents.” They are not seeking town funds at this time. He noted, “The size and features of the park will depend on town approvals, community input, and the success of fundraising efforts.” 

After the presentation and a public forum, the Select Board voiced its unanimous support of the bike park concept on town-owned land at 260 Woodland Street. 

The full presentation is available at bit.ly/HollistonBikeParkProposalJan2025. 

For more information, contact Carvalho directly at [email protected] or visit www.hollistonbikepark.org or “Holliston Bike Park” on Facebook and Instagram.