A pair of state grants applications to install a pump track in Jackson-Taylor on Washington Street would represent quite an investment — $3.5 million with a pretty sizable local matching requirement.

It’s a worthy investment — if the pump track is going to be used.

For all the complaints we hear about there being nothing for youth to do in Jamestown, one would think a pump track would be used frequently. Pump bicycle tracks are tracks made with a series of bumps and berms that result in a feeling like riding a roller coaster without the need for pushing or pedaling a bike or skateboard. They can be made from dirt, wood, asphalt, fiberglass or concrete and can be installed above or at ground level.

That means in addition to adding an amenity, the amenity can also bring a new aesthetic to Jackson-Taylor Park.

Ideally, the new pump track would be regularly programmed to make the greatest use of the city and state investment. This is not a cheap facility, and if it is ever built the last thing anyone should want to see is the facility be underused and eventually fall into disrepair.

The recent Go Skate JTNY Day is a good example of this. The weather largely held off for a seven-hour free event at the new JTNY Powerhouse Skate Park that included live bands and food vendors. It’s not easy to pull off such events. The event itself isn’t new, but the new skate park provided an exciting new venue that allowed skateboarding and music to be combined. A pump track, if built, could offer similar opportunities.