It's all about the connections...
Genesee Riverway Trail
Genesee Valley Greenway
Friday, June 10, 2011
The Lehigh Valley Trail Connection
The last few days have seen quite a few emails bandied about concerning the strip of land between the University of Rochester and East River Road. This land is of particular interest because it happens to be the most direct connection between the existing Lehigh Valley Trail that runs south to RIT and the Erie Canal Trail, University of Rochester, and the Genesee Riverway Trail.
The map below show a tax map of the land in question that indicates that it is in the Town of Brighton and owned by the University of Rochester. The bridges are permanent easements owned by the state.
There is currently a service road in disrepair that many people on mountain bikes or running use to get from one trail to the next, but that road is not friendly to thin road bike tires as I can personally attest.
Luckily, there is an alternative. On a recent trip back from RIT I attempted to explore a link to a nearby road, and accidentally discovered a fantastic trail about 30 yards west of the service road in the woods that leads to a concrete pedestrian bridge over 390 and the canal. This route could be the perfect alternative to the service road, and the current official Lehigh Valley route via Kendrick Road's sidewalk.
The pictures below tell the story even better than I can describe. I apologize for the non-sensical order.
This is the entrance to the trail facing north near the Erie Canal trail. You can see a vehicle parked in a University of Rochester parking lot in the background.
This is the trail facing south after crossing the pedestrian bridge. The trail is a single dirt track so it is difficult to spot here. It looks like most people who cross this bridge opt to walk or bike along the service road. Possibly because they are unaware of where the trail exits.
The view of the service road bridge from the pedestrian bridge.
The pedestrian bridge facing north.
The trail facing north somewhere in the middle.
The entrance to the trail from the Erie Canal trail facing south.
The entrance to the trail from the Lehigh Valley trail facing south. As you can see, this area of the trail will need some work before it is truly accessible. That mud is about as deep and nasty as it looks and impassable on a road bike. Luckily, this stretch is only about 30-40 yards long, and could easily be repaired.
The rest of the muddy section facing north from the same spot.
The entrance to the trail from the Erie Canal trail facing north.
It is evident that people are already using the pedestrian bridge, and to a lesser extent this alternative trail. With proper signage and a little work, this could easily become an excellent addition the the Lehigh Valley Trail, and serve as a vital intercampus link.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
THIS WEDNESDAY: the First Greater Rochester Active Transportation Symposium
Walk, Bike, Smile, Thrive
Jon Schull
Scott Macrae
Walking and biking is good for your health, good for your state of mind, good for Rochester. And its about to get better.
Less than a year after the newly-formed Rochester Cycling Alliance began advocating for comprehensive bike-friendly planning and development, the City of Rochester has developed and released a Bicycle Master Plan that will encourage better bike lanes, neighborhood greenways, and urban trails, and stimulate similar developments in neighboring municipalities. The Town of Brighton has just received a planning grant from the federally-funded Genesee Transportation Council to develop a plan for bikeable and walkable connections between the University of Rochester, RIT, MCC, and downtown Rochester.
And on April 27, forward thinking planners, leaders, and citizens will come together for the firstGreater Rochester Active Transportation Symposium , to celebrate a rich set of geographical and demographic assets, ripe for integration.
The Greater Rochester Active Transportation Symposium will feature national leaders who will report on how active transportation planning in cities like Madison Wisconsin, and Minneapolis Minnesota has made roads safer, expanded transportation options, and increased community liveability and attractiveness, especially for young people critical for regional vitality and growth.
The April 27 Greater Rochester Active Transportation Symposium will also include over 13 workshops, rides and fun events designed to help citizens and local leaders adapt these lessons to our own city.
Consider the facts. The average Rochester family spends 19% of its income on transportation--about $8,000 a year. Yet over half of our trips are 5 miles in duration or less--perfect for biking. If even a fraction of our car commutes became bike commutes, effective family incomes could increase by thousands of dollars, and most of those dollars (hundreds of millions of dollars!) would circulate in Rochester's economy, rather than Saudi Arabia's. And by the way, mental alertness and fitness would increase along with life expectancies and productivity (cyclists live 2 years longer on average and lose 15% fewer days off work due to illness).
Rochester's leaders and planners are attending the symposium because they are ready, willing, and able to listen and respond to forward-looking cyclists and community builders. But they need to know that the community supports and understands the incredible potential of active transportation planning for Rochesterian cyclists and non-cyclists alike.
So here's what you can do to help make this vision a reality.
· Understand it. Attractive bikeways and walkways create and preserve thriving communities populated by energetic and forward thinking citizens. Energetic and forward thinking citizens create and sustain livable cities with rich transportation options, less obesity and heart disease, lower carbon footprints, less dependence on foreign oil. (Its not rocket science. Its better.)
· Know that realizing this vision need not be expensive. Portland Oregon's entire cycling infrastructure was built for less than the cost of a single mile of urban expressway (and Portland now saves twenty times that much money per year in miles not driven).
· Ask for it. While the health benefits of cycling outweigh the safety risks 20 to 1, those benefits today go to those who are willing to brave roadways that are often scary and unappealing. Ask for better walkways and bikeways.
· Join us at the Greater Rochester Active Transportation Symposium Wednesday, April 27th and help us marry an emerging global vision with emerging local opportunities
· Vote with your feet. Bike more, walk more, smile more. You'll feel better, and you'll help the community thrive.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Greater Rochester Active Transportation System
Click on images for a printable PDF.
Spread the word!
Now seeking endorsements and logos from allied organizations.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Saturday, July 3, 2010
River Meadow Crossing
Allen Kerkeslager helped me find an even better link to connect the RITtweenway with the Genesee Valley Greenway, and Jay Jackson pointed out that a bike ferry could be a way cool and relatively easy way to get the job done.
Here is the site we are talking about in google maps. On the east side of the crossing, the land is reportedly owned by developers planning to create a pond and preserve in the big open areas, and on the west side some unused NYState owned property seems to be waiting for our new lease on life.
The crossing would connect the "River Meadow Preserve" to an asphalted former water testing facility reportedly owned by New York State. The landing would offer near-perfect access to to the Genessee Valley Greenway either via Scottsville Rd and Brook Rd, or southwest by way of the road that exteds from right across the landing.
. Here is the eastward looking view back to River Meadow Dr.
As for how the crossing would be implemented, one could imagine a bicycle/pedestrian bridge or even a small cable ferry (which could be designed and built by RIT faculty and students!)
· River Meadow Crossing
- would create new recreational options for local residents,
- would create a short and safe bike-commute to and from RIT and RIT's new Global Village
- would create a scenic and efficient 10 mile bike ride to downtown Rochester via RIT, Park Point and the Rochester Greenway.
- would make us essential links in the emerging Rochester-Williamsport Greenway
- would establish Henrietta, RIT, and Rochester as leaders in the transition to more ecological, economical, and healthy life styles.
- would enrich the community.
The "Rochester Bicycle Ecology" is a flagship project of RIT's Center for Student Innovation (which I now direct.)
● We have been promoting the under-appreciated "Rochester Greenway" that connects Henrietta with Downtown Rochester by way of RIT and the Lehigh Valley North Trail.
● We organized last October's Rochester Cycling Summit , helped found the Rochester Cycling Alliance and helped put theRochester-Williamsport Greenway on the agenda for NY and PA planners.
● In less than a year, we've had significant impact, and this summer we are working with the Rochester Cycling Alliance to stimulate and coordinate a "Greater Rochester Active Transportation System".
Friday, July 2, 2010
U.S. Bicycle Route System - FAQs - Adventure Cycling Association
U.S. Bicycle Route System - FAQs - Adventure Cycling Association: "USBRS - Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the U.S. Bicycle Route System?
2. What are the advantages of having a U.S. Bicycle Route?
3. Is there demand?
4. Who is funding this initiative?
5. Are there any existing routes?
6. How are routes decided upon?
7. Who oversees/maintains the U.S. Bicycle Route System?
8. What does designation mean?
9. What stipulations are there for developing U.S. Bicycle Routes?
10. What if the best route or an important connection is not on a road managed by the State Department of Transportation?
11. What is AASHTO?
12. What is the Adventure Cycling Association?
1. What is the U.S. Bicy"
1. What is the U.S. Bicycle Route System?
2. What are the advantages of having a U.S. Bicycle Route?
3. Is there demand?
4. Who is funding this initiative?
5. Are there any existing routes?
6. How are routes decided upon?
7. Who oversees/maintains the U.S. Bicycle Route System?
8. What does designation mean?
9. What stipulations are there for developing U.S. Bicycle Routes?
10. What if the best route or an important connection is not on a road managed by the State Department of Transportation?
11. What is AASHTO?
12. What is the Adventure Cycling Association?
1. What is the U.S. Bicy"
Monday, June 14, 2010
Rails-To-Trails Conservancy features Urban Trails
Urban Pathways News and Updates
- Portland, Ore. - Community Cycling Center Director Alison Gravespresented the Understanding Barriers to Bicycling project at a seminar at Portland State University. As part of the project, the center conducted workshops and focus groups with various communities of color, providing insight on how best to tailor programming.
- Minneapolis, Minn. - Streetfilms produced a video highlighting the city's bike-friendly improvements, including trail network construction and trail programming such as the Midtown Greenway Trail Watch.
- Greenville, S.C. - In a newspaper article about safety on the Greenville Hospital System Swamp Rabbit Tram Trail, trail planners Ty Houck and Brian Graham point to various anti-crime design techniques they discussed at our gathering in New Orleans.
- Washington, D.C. - On the occasion of the ribbon cutting for the newest section of the Metropolitan Branch Trail (pictured), we look back at trail planner Heather Deutsch's presentation on construction challenges.
Apply for RTCA Assistance by August 1
The National Park Service (NPS) Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program is asking outdoor conservation projects to apply for technical assistance from NPS staff. Many urban pathways have received assistance from RTCA, and your project could be next! Visit the RTCA website to fill out an application or contact an RTCA staff member near you.
New Resource: Trail Maintenance Funding
Discover a new section of RTC's Trail-Building Toolbox dedicated to funding mechanisms for trail maintenance. It highlights four urban trails - in Michigan, New York, Ohio and Texas - that have taken different approaches to funding upkeep. The new resource includes documents that can help your trail.
Stay on top of the latest resources by visiting the Urban Pathways Initiative and using our RSS feed
. Is there something we're missing or a question you have for the larger group? Let us know in the forums.
State of the City
State of the City is a group exhibition featuring Trevor Flynn, Amy Casey and Spectres of Liberty. State of the City 2010 engages artists, creative professionals and the public in considering and envisioning the history and
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Sunday, June 13, 2010
RochesterGreenway now on Google Maps
I discovered today that the RochesterGreenway (aka Lehigh Valley North Trail) is now showing up on the Google maps bike layer.
I also scoped out a nice bicycle boulevard route inspired by Richard deSarra's Monroe Bicycle Boulevard Ride. It goes from Cobbs Creek to Hinsdale to Pinnacle to Crossman to Field to Westerloe to Lac de Ville. At which point you can jog to Clinton (traffic alert!) to get to the Canal. I dub this route the Pinnacle -Lac deVille route.
It comes tantalizingly close to Brighton Park, however. and so I've marked an area for future exploration.
Feel free to add to this map!
Monday, May 10, 2010
One more bridge to cross, on foot or bike | 520 - An Environmental Blog | Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
One more bridge to cross, on foot or bike | 520 - An Environmental Blog | Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
View Rochester’s Genesee River footbridges in a larger map
Erie Lackawanna railroad bridge!
POSTED BY SORR • APRIL 29, 2010 • 11:14 AM
The city of Rochester is now soliciting proposals for design of a new walking-biking trail on a bridge over the Genesee River near the University of Rochester.
The 1,600-foot-long stretch of trail would use the old Erie-Lackawanna Railroad bridge that crosses the river from the Plymouth-Exchange neighborhood to the university’s River Campus. It would connect with the excellent trails, much used by runners, walkers and riders, already in place on each side of the Genesee.
If I have the count right, the Erie-Lackawanna span would be the city’s seventh bridge over the river reserved for pedestrians and bikers – a most impressive number, in my view, for a city this size.
Footbridge near Brooks Avenue
How many have you sampled? There’s a spectacular high bridge (built atop a sewer pipe actually) at Seneca Park, a walkway atop a dam at the little-known Middle Falls, the Pont du Rennes at High Falls, the Sister Cities span downtown, the existing footbridge at the UR near Brooks Avenue, and a lovely little crossing at Genesee Valley Park south of Elmwood Avenue
Most if not all are connected by trails, I believe. A bike-rider could cross them all in what? An hour? Somebody try it and let me know. Send me pics.
Back to Footbridge 7 at the UR. If all goes well, the city will hold public meetings this fall, design will be done over the winter, construction will start next spring and the repurposed bridge will open in October 2011. The project will cost about $1.2 million, with the city and New York state splitting the tab.
According to this detailed feasibility study done by Environmental Design and Research for the city and the Genesee Transportation Council two years ago, the bridge was built in the early 1900s, though earlier spans stood in that spot back to the 1850s. The rail line carried passenger and freight traffic between Rochester and Avon, Livingston County, with connections to points south. Erie-Lackawanna discontinued use of the line in 1971, a year before the rail company entered bankruptcy. The bridge has been unused since, except by occasional trespassers, and is now owned by the city.
The bridge as it is now (EDR feasibility study image)
When work is done, the bedraggled span will be transformed. It will have a new deck, be partly repainted, made ADA compliant and will sport ”amenities such as railing, lighting, benches, bike racks, and landscaping,” as the request for proposals put it.
The bridge as it may be (EDR feasibility study image)
Pretty nifty, eh? It should be a nice addition to the ever-growing network of trails in our region.
Oh, and if you’re not clear where these bridges are, here’s a home-made Google map, with the trails near the planned bridge marked as well. You’ll have to find the rest of the paths yourself. Enjoy!
View Rochester’s Genesee River footbridges in a larger map
Here is the project schedule from the Request for Proposals:
Project Schedule
Start Work June 2010
Site Reconnaissance & Survey June 2010 – July 2010
Draft Alternatives Prepared July 2010 – August 2010
Host Citizen Advisory Meetings August 2010 – October 2010
Finalize Alternatives September 2010 – October 2010
Host Public Meeting(s) August 2010 – October 2010
Preliminary Design of Selected Alternative October 2010 - November 2010
Final Design & Construction Documents December 2010 – January 2011
Bid Process/Issuance of Construction Contracts February 2011 – April 2011
Construction Phase May 2011
Open Bridge October 2011
Site Reconnaissance & Survey June 2010 – July 2010
Draft Alternatives Prepared July 2010 – August 2010
Host Citizen Advisory Meetings August 2010 – October 2010
Finalize Alternatives September 2010 – October 2010
Host Public Meeting(s) August 2010 – October 2010
Preliminary Design of Selected Alternative October 2010 - November 2010
Final Design & Construction Documents December 2010 – January 2011
Bid Process/Issuance of Construction Contracts February 2011 – April 2011
Construction Phase May 2011
Open Bridge October 2011
Monday, April 12, 2010
Lynch Woods Park in Brighton
The Lehigh Valley North Trail connects RIT, UofR, and Brighton. Lynch Woods Park in Brighton spans the area East of the trail from Crittenden Road (to the North) and Brighton-Henrietta Town Line Road (to to the South).
The Town of Brighton is currently planning a variety of trails and boardwalks to increase usability and access.
More info at http://www.townofbrighton.org/index.aspx?NID=457
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Recent News on the PA side of the Rochester-Williamsport Greenway and the Headwaters of the Genesee River
Allen Kerkeslager reports...
The North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission, has drafted plans for integrating Potter County into a state-wide program for developing greenways in all 67 counties in Pennsylvania. Included in their ranking is about 40 miles of rail-trails to connect the famous Pine Creek Trail to trail systems along the Genesee River south to the NY/PA state line. This will bring a fresh infusion of PA state, regional, and local resources to the completion of the Rochester-Williamsport Greenway.
Most notably, regional planning commission officials have identified the number one priority for trail development in Potter County as the completion a new westward extension of the famous Pine Creek Trail to the sources of Pine Creek (west of Galeton, PA). At its western terminus, this new Pine Creek Trail extension will connect with another new rail-trail ("the North Border Trail") that will extend southward from the NY/PA border near Genesee, PA, to the source of the east branch of the Genesee River between Ulysses and Gold, PA.
These two trails will connect near a special site marking the triple divide that embraces the sources of the Genesee River, the Allegheny River, and the Susquehanna River (West Branch and Pine Creek). Together these two trails will link the current trailhead of the Pine Creek Trail at Ansonia, PA, with a rail-trail in NY that follows the Genesee River south from Wellsville, NY, to the NY/PA state line (the WAG Trail, which was recently acquired by NYSDEC).
The North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission will hold a public meeting to collect final comments on its draft of the trail systems in Potter County, PA, in the Gunsberger Building in Coudersport, PA, at 1:00 pm on April 15.
For additional details about developments in the Rochester-Williamsport greenway on the PA side and updates on the Genesee River Wilds Project (www.geneseeriverwilds.org), contact Allen Kerkeslager, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, at akerkesl@sju.edu or (610) 660-1121.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Sustainability Mobility Fair - May 8th Free expo
“Sustainability Mobility Fair - Future Transportation Choices for Short Trips"
Admission is free and open to the public.
When: Saturday, May 8, 2010 from 10:AM - 2 PM
Where: The Center for Student Innovation at RIT, 1 Lomb Memorial Dr Rochester, NY 14623-5698
Attendees will be exposed to what is new and now available on the market and able to experience the latest choices in Electric, Hydrogen, Biodiesel, Natural Gas, Propane, Hybrid, Plug-In, Ethanol, Walking School Buses, and cycling transportation technologies.
All alternative fuel options will be on display. As more commuters become aware of travel choices, we expect to see more of them regularly choosing transportation alternatives because of the benefits. Sponsored by Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and the Center for Environmental Information (CEI).
Admission is free and open to the public.
When: Saturday, May 8, 2010 from 10:AM - 2 PM
Where: The Center for Student Innovation at RIT, 1 Lomb Memorial Dr Rochester, NY 14623-5698
Attendees will be exposed to what is new and now available on the market and able to experience the latest choices in Electric, Hydrogen, Biodiesel, Natural Gas, Propane, Hybrid, Plug-In, Ethanol, Walking School Buses, and cycling transportation technologies.
All alternative fuel options will be on display. As more commuters become aware of travel choices, we expect to see more of them regularly choosing transportation alternatives because of the benefits. Sponsored by Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and the Center for Environmental Information (CEI).
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Rochester-Williamsport Greenway in the Williamsport Sun Gazette
NY-PA trail blends recreation, conservation
By PATRICK DONLIN - pdonlin@sungazette.com
When they decided they had a common interest of creating recreational trails, two professors determined it was time to band together with one another and others to blaze a 230-mile path connecting Williamsport and Rochester, N.Y.
Jon Schull, Rochester Institute of Technology associate professor of innovation and invention, said he and Allen Kerkeslager met a couple months ago in Philadelphia, where Kerkeslager is a professor at St. Joseph's University.
"We talked about the synergy between his (Kerkeslager's) work in the Genesee Wilds Association and my work which I call the 'Rochester Greenway,' " Schull said. "We realized the two sections we had been focusing on were the two end points of this project."
Schull, one of the founders of the Rochester Cycling Alliance, is excited about the recreation possibilities.
Kerkeslager described different reasons he wants to get involved. He grew up in rural New York, near the proposed trail project, and continues to go home to see family there, driving through Williamsport on the way.
The trail project also is a chance for Kerkeslager, a religions of the ancient world professor, to delve into something he admits isn't as obscure.
'A breather ... for humanity'
"Much of this (trail project) is a breather to do stuff for humanity," he said.
It comes with a price.
Kerkeslager said the cost for the 230-mile connection could be $100 million, but he offered an explanation.
To offer it completely with trails, he expects a $50 million expense.
There would be another cost of $50 million for the water conservation measures he recommends.
It'll take time, too, as Kerkeslager said, "Twenty years, I think that's a fair estimate to be completely off-road."
Kerkeslager, who rides a bicycle 10 miles round trip on his daily work commute, said he's a proponent of the proposed cycling recreation.
Environmental improvements
But, he's also an advocate for environmental improvements possible through the trail plan.
The project spans the Susquehanna, Genesee and the headwaters of the Allegheny River, all watersheds Kerkeslager intends to protect.
Kerkeslager believes building a riparian buffer along the trail is a cost-saving conservation alternative to building expensive rock wall dams.
Greenway planning preserves forests and conserves nature, according to Rick Biery, regional planning program manager for Northern Tier Regional Planning and Development Commission.
Biery embraces plan development and the possible trail if it's conducted responsibly.
"From a concept standpoint, these things are great," Biery said. "It brings an opportunity to tap into a resource hikers and bikers may not get to go through unless we look at the possibilities."
Through connectivity, the recreational system experience improves, according to Kerkeslager.
He said it will connect the nationally renowned Pine Creek Gorge bicycle trail to the Genesee River's gorgeous waterfalls.
Jobs will be created, Kerkeslager added, especially in the sectors of tourism, hospitality, recreation and tour guiding.
He intends to bring the plan to the forefront at meetings of the Northcentral Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission in Ridgway.
Facing up to the challenge
Some consider the most challenging interstate link to be completed as a 40-mile proposed trail running northwest from Wellsboro to the New York border.
A connection just west of Wellsboro is in the conceptual stage, according to Biery.
"We're working with a consultant to develop a greenways open space outdoors recreation plan. It's an overall concept plan," he said.
Matt Marusiak, project coordinator for the Northcentral Pennsylvania Greenways and Open Space Plan, said land deals still need to be made there to acquire trail property, much of which lack old railroad beds ideal for making recreation trails.
In areas where land can't be bought, Kerkeslager said the trail may have to go along Route 6.
Railroad beds ideal
A recreational trail using a road area isn't uncommon, as Kerkeslager said portions of the Appalachian Trail he's explored are the same way.
Railroad beds like what are used in the local Pine Creek Trail are ideal, but alternatives can be used if necessary.
Kerkeslager said there's often a section here and there where planners have to route a trail along roads where landowners want to keep their property or where an area is undevelopable.
Since July, Biery's been involved in what he described as an outreach process including public meetings, contact with stakeholders, and thousands of resident surveys in the counties of Tioga, Sullivan, Wyoming and Susquehanna.
Biery hopes to reach the next goal by early June, which includes a direct recommendations document he said is drafted for review by the planning partners.
"That's where projects will come from," Biery said of further details to be unveiled.
Project offerings
Bicycle recreation is important but so is waterways enjoyment, organizers say.
Like the canoe and kayak launches already offered along the Genesee and Pine Creek rail trails, Kerkeslager plans on offering more boat launches where possible.
He hopes his entire New York to Pennsylvania circuit can be as beautiful as the Pine Creek trail residents enjoy here, but he realizes some adjustments may be necessary.
A hurdle in New York is not to have a trail, but to have it off-road.
A 20-mile section from Belfast, N.Y., to Wellsville, N.Y., can be offered as soon as this summer if it's presented on an existing country road.
"In the long run, we'd like to get these trails off the roads entirely," Kerkeslager said.
Using a combination of existing roads and trails, he said a route from Williamsport to New York could be offered later this year.
Organizers would merely have to offer maps, a Web site and post some trail sections with markers honoring the trail.
"It could say future home of (the NYPA Greenways)," Kerkeslager said, reminding it's only a working name.
"To open for usage with provisional usage on roads, we can do that as soon as it gets warm," he said.
People already bicycle from Rochester to Williamsport, according to Schull.
"They ride on trails and ride on roads when the trail peters out," he said.
It can be done now, but Lycoming County Visitors Bureau Executive Director Jason Fink doesn't suggest competing with traffic along the Route 14-15 corridors.
'A safer way'
"This would be a safer way to enjoy it," said Fink, himself an avid local bicycle rider. "To ride up to Rochester would be a very exciting thing for a bicyclist."
Because the existing Pine Creek Trail is extensively used, he believes a new trail would be popular around here.
It would be quite an experience to explore a different terrain in the Great Lakes region up north, according to Fink.
The trail is more than just about recreation to Schull, who said, "it becomes a plan for real development and transportation development."
He said bicycling is especially popular among the five cycling clubs in his city.
Schull said there are great places to ride around the Erie Canal, Genesee Riverway Trail, Lake Ontario and Finger Lakes. He said his region already had wonderful trails but they can be improved.
"There are stretches where there's roads that we ride that could be more bikeable," Schull said. "And there's stretches that could be more scenic or more direct."
Extending their outreach
Attracting expanded stakeholders interested in conservation is critical to success, according to Kerkeslager.
"With more interest in the trail, we'll expand the profile," he said. "Get people using it and once they're using it, it promotes more stakeholders to build up funding."
"If there's enough support out there, the right people should be able to find those funds out there," Fink said of needed grants.
Separate but similar projects are happening elsewhere, as Schull said a national network of trails is developing.
"There's an emerging view of greenways all over the country," he said.
The East Coast Greenway project from Cape Cod to Key West, Fla., is being developed along a proposed 3,000-mile trail, which runs down the eastern seaboard, incorporating the Philadelphia area.
In addition to his planning involvement with the Pennsylvania Wilds, Jerry Walls also is a board member of the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership, which he said may benefit from the NYPA plan.
From the headwaters of the West Branch in Cambria County to Williamsport to Sunbury to the Chesapeake Bay, Susquehanna Greenway partners including Walls are planning a 500-mile recreational route that he said could tie into Kerkeslager's plan.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
The missing link, aka the "Tweenway Spur"
We have identified an RGE gas pipeline that runs from a hill on the West Side of RIT's campus (just South of the Red Barn) across East River Rd, across the river, across Scottsville Rd, and through cleared woods to the GVGreenway Trail.
This path has just the trajectory we might want in developing the RIT Tweenway, and the trees are already cleared. (The path is not surfaced.)
View tweenway Spur in a larger map
Here are some panoramas
The view from the hill to the West: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2721/4309845639_f1e422dcce_o.jpg
The view from Scottsville Rd East to RIT: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4045/4309844619_70c0ddf04f_o.jpg
The view at the GVGreenway-Pipeline intersection (380 degrees) : http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2798/4338153998_0616943c66_o.jpg:
Let's call the path that might be made from the pipeline the "Tweenway Spur" (assuming the cross-RIT bike trail is to be called the RIT Tweenway.)
The ideal long-range vision is for a cycle/pedestrian bridge from the hill on the RIT campus to the Tweenway Spur, without their having to touch down on the East River Rd, Scottsville Rd, or the River.
However, even without the Tweenway Bridge, this spur would provide a more intuitive, scenic and safer alternative route to the Ballantyne Bridge (and thence to RIT or Jefferson Road and the Lehigh Valley North Trail).
This path has just the trajectory we might want in developing the RIT Tweenway, and the trees are already cleared. (The path is not surfaced.)
View tweenway Spur in a larger map
Here are some panoramas
The view from the hill to the West: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2721/4309845639_f1e422dcce_o.jpg
The view from Scottsville Rd East to RIT: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4045/4309844619_70c0ddf04f_o.jpg
The view at the GVGreenway-Pipeline intersection (380 degrees) : http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2798/4338153998_0616943c66_o.jpg:
Let's call the path that might be made from the pipeline the "Tweenway Spur" (assuming the cross-RIT bike trail is to be called the RIT Tweenway.)
The ideal long-range vision is for a cycle/pedestrian bridge from the hill on the RIT campus to the Tweenway Spur, without their having to touch down on the East River Rd, Scottsville Rd, or the River.
However, even without the Tweenway Bridge, this spur would provide a more intuitive, scenic and safer alternative route to the Ballantyne Bridge (and thence to RIT or Jefferson Road and the Lehigh Valley North Trail).
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Towpath Trail idea really floats
http://picasaweb.google.com/JohnPucher/PortlandOregonSeptOct2007#5117211901939512034Towpath Trail idea really floats
The newest segment of the Towpath Trail in South Akron includes a floating section that runs nearly a third of a mile along Summit Lake's southern shoreline and passes under the Kenmore Boulevard bridge.
http://www.ohio.com/lifestyle/ohio_travel/56239382.html
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And then there's these:
Alta Planning & Design - Bicycle, Pedestrian, Greenway & Trail Projects - Project Links & Resources - Research & Study Documents
Alta Planning & Design - Bicycle, Pedestrian, Greenway & Trail Projects - Project Links & Resources - Research & Study Documents
Bicycling Related Documents & Studies
Research & Study Documents
Alta is at the forefront of nationally significant bicycle and pedestrian research to advance the fields of transportation, land-use, planning, and design. You can learn more about Alta's research capabilities on ourResearch service page . Below you'll find a number of our published studies for download. Documents unavailable on our website may be available upon request .
Documents for Download
Bicycling Related Documents & Studies
- Understanding Barriers to Bicycling (2009, underway)
- Bike Sharing/Public Bikes: A Summary of Programs, Vendors and Technologies (01/09)
- 2008 Oregon Bike Related Business & Economic Study (09/08)
- Bicycle Industry Growth in Portland (6/06)
- Bridging the Gaps: How the Quality and Quantity of a Connected Bikeway Network Correlates with Increasing Bicycle Use (6/05)
- San Francisco Bicycle Program Supplemental Design Guidelines (9/03)
Facilities and Infrastructure Related Documents & Studies
- Report on Bicycle Interaction with Streetcars (10/08)
- Cycle Tracks: Lessons Learned (11/08)
- From Cycletracks to Singlespeeds: A Comparison of Bicycle Facilities and Cycling Culture between North America and Europe (12/08)
- Integration of Bicycles and Transit (11/05)
- San Francisco Shared-Lane Marking Study (2/04)
Trail Related Documents & Studies
- Rails-With-Trails: Lessons Learned Federal study
- Trails in Limited Access Highway Corridors Final Report
This study documented existing conditions and developed methodologies and best practices for the design, implementation and management of Shared Use Paths in Limited Access Highway Corridors. Visit the project website - Trails and Golf Courses: Best Practices on Design and Management (7/05)
Programs and Education Related Documents & Studies
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