cmc4130 Posted December 26, 2021 Share Posted December 26, 2021 (edited) December 17 update from City of Austin Public Works. (During my meeting with them and the contractor in November, they said they were going to try allow for a crossing point around the #230 point, but now it seems to have shifted to "this whole corridor is closed until late spring" and they shifted the Alternate Route over to Root Drop. I have requested a meeting about it. --Cullen, ARR Walnut Creek Trail Steward This is what I'm suggesting they do, which is create a break in the security fencing either at #230 (or at the other circled spot--although that spot is close to an elevated bridge area that they are going to build, so it may be harder). Edited December 26, 2021 by cmc4130 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
June Bug Posted December 26, 2021 Share Posted December 26, 2021 I hope the city accommodates your suggestions, because it's very likely that some trail user (walkers/dog walkers/cyclists) will at some point cut or tear down the fencing, leading to more conflict and aggravation for the the contractor. In addition, unapproved social trails will be generated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AustinBike Posted December 26, 2021 Share Posted December 26, 2021 Yeah, I am concerned as well. The pandemic seems to have brought a lot of people into our sport who don't appear to have as much "tribal knowledge" about trails, maintaining them, access, loss of access, etc. Some of the attitudes that I tend to see played out on social media and online often revolve around the idea of "I can ride anywhere I want, STFU if you don't like it." Wet trails, e-bikes, rogue trails that cross private land, you get the picture. Sadly a lot of them don't venture off of WC to other trails, so any limitation to them is a huge impact. When you hear people really going off the deep end about how terrible this is and how they weren't personally consulted about the project, it's a good time to remind them that now is a perfect to branch out and explore some of the other trails. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmc4130 Posted December 26, 2021 Author Share Posted December 26, 2021 Just south of the lower circle in my diagram above, right next to the creek, was an old existing social trail that took some very minor cleaning up to be a workable temporary walk/ride-around as we discuss further with City. Old CLOSED trail 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AustinBike Posted December 27, 2021 Share Posted December 27, 2021 Thank you for your work here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmc4130 Posted December 28, 2021 Author Share Posted December 28, 2021 I'll be speaking to Public Works today. If anyone has any comments/concerns, LMK. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AustinBike Posted December 30, 2021 Share Posted December 30, 2021 Just rode this yesterday. It is awesome. Basically we have the whole park, and there is basically only a small section cut off and then the "service road" which was boring anyway. I was able to piece together ~95% of the old "race loop" route that we all rode for the last 20 years. Just a couple more pieces to pull together and it will be done and committed to memory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AustinBike Posted December 30, 2021 Share Posted December 30, 2021 Here is a little more detail to show the impact of he closed trails. With the reroute it only leaves those sections in red to contend with. Getting some kind of reroute from 256 to 244 would be awesome. @cmc4130 if you get approval to do that, let me know and I am happy to come out and help with that reroute. It is a small one but it would open up 90% of that creekside trail and really pull things together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmc4130 Posted December 30, 2021 Author Share Posted December 30, 2021 Up by the pool lot, #242 to #244 is not actually closed. There's fencing, but they left a couple of breaks in the fencing on purpose. The short section from #244 to where the blue trail drops in to the right is one area that has been suggested to have a dirt trail short cut on the west side of the concrete. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AustinBike Posted December 31, 2021 Share Posted December 31, 2021 When I was there yesterday there was no cut-through. There were what appeared to be "gates", basically part of the orange plastic fence looked like it could be lifted up to go under it but there were trail closed signs. Are we allowed to go through these? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bart Posted December 31, 2021 Share Posted December 31, 2021 So is this trail eventually going to connect to the Walnut Creek bike path by Johnny Morris? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
circuitbreaker Posted December 31, 2021 Share Posted December 31, 2021 8 hours ago, Bart said: So is this trail eventually going to connect to the Walnut Creek bike path by Johnny Morris? Yes, but its very eventually, i think there are two or three different phases. it will probably be 10 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WatersPark Posted January 17, 2022 Share Posted January 17, 2022 (edited) Here's a brochure from an early envisioning of the trail from the 1990s when I worked for the city. https://milwoodna.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/WC_GreenwayBrochure.pdf Edited January 17, 2022 by WatersPark 2nd thoughts 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmc4130 Posted January 17, 2022 Author Share Posted January 17, 2022 2 hours ago, WatersPark said: Here's a brochure from an early envisioning of the trail from the 1990s when I worked for the city. https://milwoodna.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/WC_GreenwayBrochure.pdf Wow!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bamwa Posted January 17, 2022 Share Posted January 17, 2022 I have some pictures of the poured bridge columns and the rebar isn't arraigned in any way other than fked up. Should I show them to someone at the city? May upload here later. And hello again folks! It's been a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmc4130 Posted January 17, 2022 Author Share Posted January 17, 2022 3 hours ago, Bamwa said: I have some pictures of the poured bridge columns and the rebar isn't arraigned in any way other than fked up. Should I show them to someone at the city? May upload here later. And hello again folks! It's been a while. Yeah, if you upload, I can make Public Works aware of it. — Cullen, Austin Ridge Riders Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmc4130 Posted January 25, 2022 Author Share Posted January 25, 2022 The ride-around at the future bridge / creek crossing is working pretty well. After the bridge gets built, we may be able to ride under it like at some other spots in the park. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAF Posted January 29, 2022 Share Posted January 29, 2022 On 1/16/2022 at 6:17 PM, WatersPark said: Here's a brochure from an early envisioning of the trail from the 1990s when I worked for the city. https://milwoodna.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/WC_GreenwayBrochure.pdf I think the whole thing is a part of the 'Big Loop' concept, which if ever implemented, will allow riders to ride up/down/across/around Austin; and the way traffic is going, it'll be needed! This article is from 2017, and hey - the Shoal Creek bike lanes have been implemented. The concrete path currently under construction at Walnut will at least make some eastbound headway. I've been under that overpass on I-35 -- it wouldn't surprise me if they have to suspend the crosswalk underneath the freeway, there's not a lot of room on the banks of the creek to build anything which would last. One small trail for North Austin, one giant loop for the whole city - Austin Monitor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Posted January 29, 2022 Share Posted January 29, 2022 1 hour ago, TAF said: the Shoal Creek bike lanes have been implemented. AKA the UPS lanes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AustinBike Posted January 29, 2022 Share Posted January 29, 2022 5 hours ago, Barry said: AKA the UPS lanes. This is a completely inappropriate response. Some of those trucks are Amazon. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntonioGG Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 19 hours ago, AustinBike said: This is a completely inappropriate response. Some of those trucks are Amazon. aka running group lanes and I-need-to-stop-to-look-at-my-phone lanes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AustinBike Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 Yesterday reminded me of why I should never ride Walnut on a Sunday. Lots of people experiencing being outdoors on a sunny day but feeling the need to document every step on their phones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 Indeed. If I'm riding just Walnut on a weekend day, something has gone wrong. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bart Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 2 hours ago, Barry said: Indeed. If I'm riding just Walnut on a weekend day, something has gone wrong. I quit the Nut on weekends after going over the bars, after a big off leash Rottweiler took me out on Tangle, and then getting yelled at by a Jersey Shore couple last yr. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
June Bug Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 (edited) On 1/29/2022 at 9:22 AM, TAF said: I think the whole thing is a part of the 'Big Loop' concept Correct. I do a regular Tuesday morning social ride on the Southern Walnut Creek Multi-Use Path, out and back. A guy (Ted Siff) involved with promoting this project is going to talk to our group tomorrow morning if things are dry. I'll see if I can post a copy of the PDF of the current status of the Grand Loop. My current pet peeve. All iterations, north and south, of the Walnut Creek Multi-Use path have problems with mud/sand washing onto the path every damn time it rains. EVERY. TIME. Somehow, the design doesn't require the contractor to address drainage issues. Ridge Riders have spent many hours of volunteer labor trying to address these drainage issues within the park. There are also problems further along the paved path, both north and south of Metric. It's a mess. Edited January 31, 2022 by June Bug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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