Safety Stand-Down
Officially this is a "Safety Stand-Down" which is scheduled for a minimum of 60 days or until such time as the park can analyze available data and information and make a determination whether or not downhill bicycle tours can safely operate in the future.This suspension and possible future ban on bicycle tours follows directly on the heels of another fatality to a biker participating in one of these very popular tours.
Recent Fatality One of Three in Past Year
On Sept. 26, Roberta Blake, 65, of Amherst, Ohio, was killed on a commercial guided downhill tour operated by Maui Mountain Cruisers when she lost control of her bicycle while traveling downhill from the 10,000-foot summit. Blake crossed the double yellow line on a downhill curve and was struck by an up-bound van operated by Maui Downhill Company, another of the seven commercial companies that hold permits also known as commercial use authorizations (CUA), to operate within the park."With three fatalities (and several serious accidents within a year, it is important to stop and critically analyze this commercial activity in the park," said Superintendent Parris upon announcing the suspension of tours. The seven commercial companies were given a week to shut down operations.
Companies Have 30 Days to Provide Input
The companies will have 30 days to provide input to the park’s analysis of the future of commercially guided downhill tours. Reviews will occur at the park, regional and national levels.The park responds to at least four to eight accidents a month involving bicycles and is often asked to respond outside the park by local authorities as a first response to serious bike accidents.
These commercially guided downhill bicycle tours carry approximately 90,000 riders annually and account for over $10 million in business for the island of Maui. The stand-down and possible ultimate permanent ban on such tours will be a serious blow to the island's economy from an economic impact and employment perspective.
My Spin
I have never participated in one of these tours. Quite frankly, the lack of guardrail along much of the route and the high volume of traffic on the mountain concerned me. I have, however, been caught in traffic behind many of these tours as they descend the mountain and seen many an angry driver recklessly pass nervous bikers. I have also encountered many tours on my drives up to the summit and noticed frequent erratic bicycle operation on the part of a small minority of riders.When I first began to visit Maui, over 10 years ago, most of these tours were confined to early morning rides down the mountain following sunrise. Over the years, however, the popularity of these tours has seen their frequency last well into the day and the number of companies offering tours increase to the current number of seven.
While I would regret a permanent ban on these tours, which are so enjoyed by many of Maui's visitors, I can understand the position taken by the National Park whose primary concern is for the safety of all visitors to the Park. Unless some means can be established to cut down on the number of inevitable accidents and greatly minimize the possibility of fatalities, I suspect we may have seen the last of these commercially guided downhill bicycle tours on the slopes of Haleakala.
The Park's Primary Concern is Safety
"Providing for the health and safety of our visitors is a core function of the National Park Service," stated Superintendent Parris quoting NPS management policies. "We need to determine that we can meet this safety standard for the 90,000 commercial downhill bicycle riders per year within the boundaries of this park."We should know the decision by year's end.
