Bremerton Pump Track Moves Closer to Reality

A years-long community effort to bring a paved bicycle pump track to Bremerton has taken an important step forward. In June 2026, a specific concept for an asphalt pump track at Sheridan Park was presented to the Bremerton Parks & Recreation Commission.

A pump track is a looping course of banked turns, rollers and other features designed so riders can maintain speed by shifting—or “pumping”—their body weight rather than continuously pedaling. Although especially popular with children, a well-designed paved pump track can be enjoyed by riders of many ages and skill levels and can also accommodate other wheeled recreation.

A Grassroots Effort

The Bremerton effort began with local parent and cyclist Phil Babcock, who first presented the idea to the Bremerton Parks & Recreation Commission in 2021. Babcock described a facility where children and adults could ride in a safe environment while developing bicycle handling skills and confidence. The proposal received enthusiastic responses from commissioners, as well as support from the West Sound Cycling Club and Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance.

West Sound Cycling Club subsequently became a major supporter of the project, establishing a fund through the Kitsap Community Foundation to raise money for design and eventually help provide matching funds for construction grants. The initial fundraising goal is $10,000 for development of a track design.

Community support has also been demonstrated through a petition started by Babcock and through Bremerton’s recent parks-planning process. In the city’s 2025 public survey, 115 of 677 respondents—about 17 percent—specifically selected a pump track as a desired park or recreation facility. Written comments repeatedly called for one, and the city’s summary of public comments identified pump tracks and bicycle infrastructure as one of the community’s leading priorities.

Sheridan Park Emerges as a Location

The biggest recent development came at the June 23, 2026 Parks & Recreation Commission meeting. Babcock presented a concept for an asphalt pump track at Sheridan Park. At the same meeting, Kendra Schuff and Kenny Vilayvong presented a related concept for a covered “wheels park” that could serve activities such as bike polo and roller derby, using the former maintenance yard adjacent to the park.

This represents an important evolution of the proposal: rather than simply asking Bremerton to find somewhere for a pump track, advocates now have a potential location and are discussing how it might fit into a larger recreation area serving several types of wheeled sports.

What Happens Next?

The project is not yet funded for construction, and there is no construction schedule. Design, permitting, accessibility improvements and funding still need to be worked out before riders can start circling a Bremerton pump track.

But the project has gained something equally important: demonstrated public support and continued attention from city officials. Bremerton’s updated Parks, Recreation and Open Space planning process found substantial public interest in a pump track, and the Sheridan Park concept gives advocates a much more concrete proposal around which to organize.

The experience of other Washington communities shows what is possible. In Seattle, for example, a partnership between Seattle Parks and Recreation and Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance produced a new paved pump track at I-5 Colonnade Park that opened in 2025, including a beginner- and family-friendly track designed to accommodate riders with different abilities.

For Bremerton, the next challenge is turning community enthusiasm into a completed design and the public and private funding necessary for construction.

West Sound Cycling Club will continue supporting the effort to give Bremerton riders—especially young riders—a fun, safe place to develop the bicycle skills and confidence that can last a lifetime.