Bike Park
At their May 11, 2023 meeting the Recreation and Parks Advisory Committee heard from a group of residents interested in creating a Bike Park in Concord. Their mission is to engage kids and families in biking and making biking accessible to everyone. They presented information on what is a bike park and the value they bring to a community. Highlighted was a local Bike Park in Keene NH (see images below) that is located in a city park. The committee asked staff to meet with the group and recommend a possible location.
The bike park group indicated a bike park is usually around a half of an acre in size plus some parking is needed. They anticipate the cost of a bike park would be around $100,000 and anticipate private donations to cover the cost to install. Ideally, the bike park can be built in a city park and would become part of the regular city park amenities with the group helping with regular maintenance needs.
First Community Meeting
When: Wednesday, July 24, 2024
Where: West Street Ward House
Time: 6 p.m.
Update from public meeting on 7/24/24: Around 40 people attended the meeting. The community group wanting to build a bike park gave an overview of a bike park and examples. The attendees overall liked the idea of a bike park however no one supported the idea of building one at Rollins Park (lack of parking, close to houses, park already used a lot, loss of skating area). The Martin Park location had more support but concerns remain on access, parking and possible loss of trees. At the end of the meeting city staff and the community group interested in building a bike park agreed to go back and look at other possible locations around the city. Residents in attendance thought maybe on conservation land as they already have a very good trail system for bikes. Another public meeting will be scheduled at a later date.
Recreation and Parks Advisory Update at their June 16, 2025 Meeting
The group gave an update to RPAC members as they have work with staff on possible other sites and determined that Martin Park is the best fit. As part of looking at Martin Park in more detail the plan is reduce the size of the park and focus on resident use vs. having ability for larger events. They also had a meeting with the Cities Trails Committee as several of the city trails allow mountain bikes however the committee did not have any recommendations for a bike park as most of the trails are on conservation land.
Staff's recommendation is to hold a community meeting with the neighborhood with Martin Park abutters and others with the hope of moving the process forward. David indicated if the bike park was built at Martin Park it would not affect current park users and could be built using the existing terrain. The committee agreed with staff’s recommendation to hold another community meeting in the fall.
Over the past year we have looked at several city owned land for potential Bike Park and Martin Park is the preferred location.
Rollins Park, Broken Ground: Unitil property off Portsmouth St, State Property near Clinton and Langley, Rolfe Park in Penacook, Keach Park, Terrill Park, Sanel Park, Kimball Park Behind the Boys and Girls Club, Grappone Park/Liberty St Private Land near Horseshoe Pond and future Rail Trail/MRGT, Beaver Meadow Park, Private Property near Rumford St/Penacook St, Private Property near Concord Hospital, Kiwanis Park/Everett Arena, Conservation Land near the Merrimack River Greenway Trail/Sunfox Farm
Second Community Meeting
When: Tuesday, September 16, 2025
Where: West Street Ward House
Time: 6 p.m.
Update from the 9/16/25 meeting: Around 15 people attended the meeting. During the meeting, the group looking at bringing a bike park gave an overview of the bike park concept and reviewed various locations that have been considered since the last meeting. The trails committee was also consulted for recommendations on possible locations, and after evaluating different options, the group is now recommending building the bike park at Martin Park, specifically on the right side of the existing trails.
The attendees at the meeting expressed full support for this location, and the group plans to present this recommendation to the Recreation and Parks Advisory Committee at a future meeting. The goal is to engage with the City Council on this matter later this year.
Third Public Meeting
When: Wednesday, Nov 5
Where: West Street Ward House
Time: 6 p.m.
The days following the meeting on 9/16 many Martin Park Abutters notified the department the letters mailed to them announcing the meeting did not arrive until after the meeting. Letters for the 9/16 meeting were mailed 7 days prior however did not arrive until after the meeting on 9/16/25. To ensure all residents have an opportunity to be involved in the input process the department decided it was best to have another meeting. We hope everyone can join us to continue the conversation regarding a possible bike park in Concord. Over 150 meeting invites were mailed to households surrounding the park 14 days prior to the 11/5/25 meeting. We also had a site walk on Monday, Nov 3 at Martin Park.
Approximately 40 residents attended the meeting. A video recording of the meeting is available below. Overall, attendees expressed general support for the concept of developing a Bike Park in Concord. While there was strong enthusiasm for the project, there was not unanimous support for the proposed location at Martin Park.
Several abutters to Martin Park raised questions and concerns, including:
Potential environmental impacts, including wetlands and soil conditions
Noise impacts
Supervision and oversight of park use
Effects on existing trail use
Maintenance of current trails
In response to environmental questions, slides regarding soil conditions and wetlands at Martin Park have been added under the project’s Quick Links section for review.
Multiple attendees also spoke in favor of the Martin Park location, highlighting its s accessibility to South End residents. The feedback gathered during this meeting will help inform the next steps in the review and planning process.
Next Steps:
The Bike Park Committee will need to formally request permission from City Council to proceed with development of a final design for Concord’s first Bike Park at Martin Park. The Bike Park Committee is enthusiastic about the opportunity to bring this valuable recreational amenity to the community and believes the Bike Park will provide lasting benefits to residents of all ages.
If approval is granted, the applicants will be required to retain a qualified vendor to support the detailed design process and complete all necessary environmental reviews. Throughout this phase, the Committee will coordinate closely with the City’s Parks and Recreation Department to ensure compliance with all applicable standards and to incorporate additional community input.
Upon completion, the final design must be formally reviewed and approved by the City before any fundraising efforts for construction may begin. Following the design phase, the project will also require final City approval prior to implementation to ensure continued transparency, accountability, and collaboration throughout the process