Is this the new normal for our trails?

[mstone]

@Fairlington124 202003 wrote:

Capacity constraints in term of trail widths, tight corners, etc have become all the more clear.

And don’t even get me started on a “trail” which is basically a 5-foot sidewalk, reduce a bit by puddling water and an uneven surface due to tree roots. A 5-foot sidewalk is borderline adequate for two passing pedestrians, to say nothing of bikers, or reduced widths due to the mentioned hazards.

Even the best trails in the region have issues. Take the W&OD near route 9, where at the best of times it’s ridiculously narrow, squeezed in, with bad sight lines, and now has weeds covering literally one entire lane on a blind turn. If only we could find a little money to improve the trail. Completely unrelated: the new roundabouts & such were part of a $28 million project to add a lane to route 7 for about 2 miles. That’s about the same as NVRPA’s annual budget, which mostly goes into the water parks, etc.; the W&OD’s share averages about $1M/year operating & capital. Ironically the W&OD actually makes about $750k/year from utility easements and similar sources and pays for itself more than any non-toll-road in the region.

[huskerdont]

@mstone 202011 wrote:

Even the best trails in the region have issues. Take the W&OD near route 9, where at the best of times it’s ridiculously narrow, squeezed in, with bad sight lines, and now has weeds covering literally one entire lane on a blind turn. If only we could find a little money to improve the trail. Completely unrelated: the new roundabouts & such were part of a $28 million project to add a lane to route 7 for about 2 miles. That’s about the same as NVRPA’s annual budget, which mostly goes into the water parks, etc.; the W&OD’s share averages about $1M/year operating & capital. Ironically the W&OD actually makes about $750k/year from utility easements and similar sources and pays for itself more than any non-toll-road in the region.

Tangentially related perhaps, but I’ve found a really nice alternative to the W&OD through there up to the point where the trail runs along Route 9 near the traffic circle. I’m sure some others know it, but if not: eastbound on the trail at Hamilton, right on 704 to the immediate left on Irene Road/706. Right on Meadowlark, then right on Simpson. Those two parallel Route 7 all the way to 9. I’ve done this a bunch of times and rarely encounter more than a car or two. I’ve also only ever seen one other cyclist, so let’s keep this to ourselves. /s

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