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City Leaders, Community Working To Find Solution For Dirt Bike Riders

BALTIMORE (WJZ)--We're creeping closer to the weekend when it's likely scores of illegal dirt bike riders will once again flood the streets of northwest Baltimore on Sunday.

Tonight some city leaders and some involved with the dirt bike community are trying to find the bikers somewhere safe and legal to ride.

WJZ's Derek Valcourt has more on a Baltimore mom who's putting herself at the front of the fight.

Toya Graham made headlines around the country after she snatched her son out of the riots. She's still looking out for her son and now his dirt bike riding friends.

"Im trying to help mayor. Im trying to find some way for these guys to go ride," said Graham.

Graham is among a growing number of parents and city leaders who are looking for a solution to a problem that has long plagued the city.

Kids can be seen illegally riding dirt bikes through city streets, speeding and weaving in and out of traffic, sometimes in the dark with no headlights, and most of the time performing dangerous tricks.

Already this year a young mom died when she was struck by an illegal dirt bike and this past Sunday police were called to disperse a crowd of hundreds on Reisterstown Road after a major fight broke out among dirt bikers.

Several city council members have already expressed support for building a special dirt bike park, but it's an idea some including the mayor aren't sold on just yet.

"The thrill of riding down Druid Hill Auchentoroly Reisterstown is not , may or may not be the same as riding in a dirt bike park and we could spend a lot of time developing those plans and spend taxpayers money building a dirt bike park and the problems still remain," said Mayor Rawlings-Blake.

They mayor says she wants to meet with dirt bikers to find a real world solution. Toya Graham and her son say they they're on board for the ride.

Some people have asked if certain roads in the city can be closed off to allow the bikers to ride on given days, but the mayor says that could be costly and run the city into liability issues if one of the bikers gets hurt.

City Councilman Pete Welch introduced a resolution on Monday calling for the creation of a special dirt bike park in the city.

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