Kennewick to unveil region’s first facility for BMX enthusiasts

Scott Brewer, manager at Trek Bicycles Kennewick, takes a few laps around the city's new pump track on Dec. 4.

Courtesy City of Kennewick

Tri-City BMX bikers wanting to test their mettle on banked turns and rolled mounds now have a place to go close to home.

The city of Kennewick will hold a ribbon cutting for the new pump track at Vancouver Park at 11 a.m. Dec. 11.

“Over the past several years, numerous community members and local business owners have expressed a desire for a pump track facility in Kennewick,” the city said in a news release. “This project addresses that need and represents a milestone for the region, as it is the first pump track in the Tri-Cities region.”

A pump track offers what the city describes as a roller coaster-like bicycling experience, with physical features enabling a cyclist to roll through the circuit by using their body weight, rather than pedaling, to propel themselves.

Scott Brewer, manager at Trek Bicycles Kennewick, takes a few laps around the city's new pump track on Dec. 4.

| Courtesy City of Kennewick

The city used nearly $500,000 in community development block grant funds to install the track at Vancouver Park, a small neighborhood green space at Vancouver Street and Seventh Avenue near the northern terminus of Zintel Canyon.

Cycling has become increasingly popular in the Tri-Cities and municipalities have added bike lanes to some roads to complement the network of bike paths and trails. Horn Rapids Sports Complex in Richland has hosted USA BMX Lumberjack Nationals in recent years.