Trying to add a payment method? You can do this on the 
QuickTake:
The project includes miles of new shared-use and mountain-bike-specific trails, along with a mountain-bike skills park. However it will still be more than a year before the trails open.
Work in the 565-acre Suzanne Arlie Park near Lane Community College has entered a construction phase, closing off sections of the park for the building of new trails and mountain bike paths.
Philip Richardson, parks planner from the city of Eugene, says the city has supported the project’s development and future amenities from day one.
“We’ve got a lot of people who are very excited about conservation and habitat preservation and also a pretty strong recreation community,” Richardson said. “There was a lot of public engagement and a ton of interest.”
The work will add 9 miles of new trails that tie in with Eugene’s existing 14-mile Ridgeline Trail network. The new development will add lower-grade shared-use trails, making them more accessible for hikers of various abilities.
“I think it’s going to be the most accessible piece of the Ridgeline that we have,” Richardson said.
The work also includes a system of new mountain-bike trails and a mountain-bike skills park, which has Eugene’s local mountain biking community buzzing.
Benjamin Hansen is a local rider and member of the mountain bike group Disciples of Dirt, which has advocated for the Arlie Park project since the beginning of the planning process. Hansen believes the project will make the sport more accessible to a wide range of riders, including beginners.
“For people that are beginner, intermediate riders, this is going to be such a wonderful place for people to hone their skills and develop their skills and exercise,” Hansen said. “It’s going to be incredible for these student athletes. It’s going to be great for families that want to ride bikes with their kids.”
Hansen hopes the new trails will grow the local mountain bike scene, and he even proposed a new nickname for the city, referencing a popular mountain bike challenge, where riders try to balance on a bike without moving or holding the handlebars.
“Now we’re known as TrackTown U.S.A.,” Hansen said. “I think the next thing that Eugene should be called is ‘Track Stand Town.’”
Construction on the park will continue through this year and next, with a grand opening anticipated by late 2026.
The city completed the master plan for the park in 2020. Work is funded by a parks bond and a $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
The city plans to develop additional amenities at the park, including more parking spaces, trails and a nature center or arboretum for children. While these items are included in the master plan, the city is still seeking funding for them.
