BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — The city of Bakersfield, in collaboration with its Recreation and Parks Department, has launched two new programs aimed at enhancing the safety and cleanliness of the Kern River Trail.
The Park Rangers e-bike program has enabled Bakersfield park rangers to acquire four e-bikes, which are expected to improve their response times to incidents and assist park visitors more efficiently. The e-bikes were acquired through a $24,000 grant from the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District.
In addition to the e-bike program, the Kern River Bike Patrol has been formed, consisting of 10 community volunteers trained by the National Ski Patrol. Robert Fairman, Steering Community Chairman of the Kern River Bike Patrol, emphasized the role of the volunteers.
“A lot of what we’re doing is eyes and ears for the rangers,” said Fairman. “So we can help see what’s going on our bike path. So we can all enjoy this beautiful thing that we have. So we can all feel safe and comfortable and have fun, and know that there are people around to help make things safe, to make things beautiful, to help make it something we can all be proud of as a community.”…