Charlotte Rail Trail South

[KJHburg]

My personal opinion I like walking on the Rail Trail to see buildings and people.  Like the Atlanta Beltline.  However I do prefer walking in nature and less of the built environment I see the better.  There are some great greenways in Mecklenburg county that offer that and some a mix.  The Riverwalk in San Antonio through downtown is an urban walk with glimpses of nature provided by the river and extensive landscaping.   This is probably my favorite urban walk in the country.  It changes as you go south of downtown into more all natural walk.  But the Rail Trail is important as a place to exercise in an area that has few parks since it was industrial.  Yes it was more accidental and just like how the people of Salisbury did not want all those dirty trails in the mid 1800s coming through their city but Charlotte welcome them.  Just like how Piedmont Airlines first choice for a hub was Richmond but when they rebuffed Charlotte become the hub.  

The  Rail Trail will never be a place to enjoy nature but it is still important recreational amenity for this city.  When my friends from Atlanta come up in Jan.  I will take them on both the Rail trail and a more natural greenway.  

I put this in the greenway thread but next year here in NC is the Year of the Trail and they include both kinds of trails urban and all natural.

Check out the video and you will see what I mean and Mecklenburg county is featured multiple times. 

https://greattrailsnc.com/

[15895]

1 hour ago, RANYC said:

It's because I've been reading too many of your posts.  I'm resolving to do less of that in the new year.

My post isn't an attack on the Rail Trail, as it's certainly a key pedestrian utility.  It's getting feedback on how folks position it as some sort of Charlotte attraction because it's that aspect of it that I'm not seeing. 

I actually agreed with your post. It really is sort of different to compare it to some other “trails” because the rail trail can be very, very narrow. Too narrow even as a sidewalk in some portions. It’s definitely not pleasant to bike until you get past Atherton. Tryon, South Blvd., Camden, East Blvd., West Blvd, East Morehead, Kenilworth Blvd./Park road to Lilac Road and Lilac Rd. Itself all need large protect bike lanes. Good ones and with strong intersections and traffic lights for bicycles like below: 

Rail Trail is good for strolling but isn’t great for biking which I *assume* the Milwaukee one is good for biking but also more active recreation. 
 

Rail trail is really good for walking/strolling and popping in and out of restaurants & stores. That’s where it shines. I don’t see a problem with it being that nor do I think it should try to be naturey/more recreational focused nor good for bikers. But I do think a naturey one is needed (see Little Sugar Creek Greenway/Freedom Park. That fills that role) and protected Bikelanes in the areas I mentioned which don’t exist yet or aren’t adequate or well connected enough) 

Edited December 19, 2022 by AirNostrumMAD

[kermit]

For me the virtue of the rail trail is that it is 100% separated from cars. That is a rare thing in this city and that makes it my preferred transportation route in Southend. It’s MUCH more relaxing to walk on it than any sidewalk.

I am not on it for the scenery (although skyline views can be OK), I am there because I am on my way someplace (or dog walking)

Edited December 27, 2022 by kermit

[kermit]

Looks like new rail trail access at Morehead street?  I think they are replacing the previous stairway with something that more directly accesses Morehead without going around the office building.
 

 

Edited April 1, 2023 by kermit

[JRCLT]

Looks like new rail trail access at Morehead street?  I think they are replacing the previous stairway with something that more directly accesses Morehead without going around the office building.
 
 

Should be this. I believe it was posted here before? But maybe not? I don’t remember.

https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2022/09/06/offices-at-carson-station-renovations-spectrum.html

[kermit]

^ Love the German High Speed train pulling into a non-existent Blue Line station which is apparently accessed via a 3ft sidewalk.

(and thanks for the render -- it looks like a tremendous improvement for this neglected stretch of the rail trail)

Edited April 1, 2023 by kermit

[videtur quam contuor]

The bridge location over the  rail line one sees there was the first obstacle to the original trolley in ~1889-1890. It was a wooden bridge and incapable of the weight of trolley car and passengers. A new bridge was built and the rails laid in the surface and then turned at what is now South Blvd. to go to the trolley barn at Bland and the trolley line.  Recall the trolley used street laid rails and not the existing freight/rail right of way as today. This was just in time as the motor car would have required a new bridge in a short time after the trolley.  In comparative transportation time that is.

[KJHburg]

I guess this could go here.  I had not seen all these renderings and the revised timeline for the Rail Trail bridge over 277 and detailed renderings and site plan. 

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5627d2b8e4b0857eb06637e7/t/61b78a65da9b671ccbac1edc/1639418489762/Rail+Trail+Bridge+Renderings+120721+(1).pdf

[KJHburg]

Top 10 Rail trails in NC I have only been on 2 of them so I have some walking to do.

https://www.railstotrails.org/trailblog/2021/september/23/top-10-trails-in-north-carolina/?

[CharlotteWkndBuzz]

Was just walking the rail trail in this area yesterday. Great points by everyone above. One other observation I was thinking about when taking that roundabout sidewalk from the rail trail to morehead is that inside the off-ramp loop would be a perfect park with direct access from the rail trail or future pedestrian bridge. Not a lot of green space in south end esp with the edition of the Queensbridge project. Ppl need a place to hangout and walk their dogs. The pic makes it look small but it’s actually a lot bigger in person and would have awesome skyline views. 

Edited June 6, 2023 by CharlotteWkndBuzz

[KJHburg]

Update on the Rail Trail bridge and its completion date.    Beautiful bridge but delayed again. 

https://charlotte.axios.com/333358/pedestrian-bridge-delayed-south-end-uptown-rail-trail

[RANYC]

1 hour ago, KJHburg said:

Update on the Rail Trail bridge and its completion date.    Beautiful bridge but delayed again. 

https://charlotte.axios.com/333358/pedestrian-bridge-delayed-south-end-uptown-rail-trail

Good grief.  I suspect a failure in project management.  Private companies struggle with project management, and I suspect public entities (or quasi-public entities) are far worse.  Another feature of the Jones Government.  I've often wondered whether a city like ours should spend more money hiring engineers and other technicians versus hiring consultant liaisons.  Not sure of the answer, but I wonder if we'd see vast improvements in our ability to execute.  I'd be fine paying a bunch more 300K and 400K salaries for engineers if we'd spend less on external consultants and have the in-house capability to move things forward.

Edited July 2, 2023 by RANYC

[Professor]

On 4/1/2023 at 10:07 AM, kermit said:

^ Love the German High Speed train pulling into a non-existent Blue Line station which is apparently accessed via a 3ft sidewalk.

(and thanks for the render -- it looks like a tremendous improvement for this neglected stretch of the rail trail)

I'm just glad to see that there is a Carson Street in Berlin. 

[TCLT]

On 7/2/2023 at 8:12 AM, RANYC said:

Good grief.  I suspect a failure in project management.  Private companies struggle with project management, and I suspect public entities (or quasi-public entities) are far worse.  Another feature of the Jones Government.  I've often wondered whether a city like ours should spend more money hiring engineers and other technicians versus hiring consultant liaisons.  Not sure of the answer, but I wonder if we'd see vast improvements in our ability to execute.  I'd be fine paying a bunch more 300K and 400K salaries for engineers if we'd spend less on external consultants and have the in-house capability to move things forward.

What engineers are making $300-400k?!? I suspect staff engineers would be far cheaper than that. 

[RANYC]

2 minutes ago, TCLT said:

What engineers are making $300-400k?!? I suspect staff engineers would be far cheaper than that. 

Not all of them will, but if you're going to in-source a lot of this execution, I suspect you'll need technical project leads.

[KJHburg]

from Joe Bruno Twitter tonight

""A new rendering and a new timeline for the Rail Trail pedestrian bridge. The city tells me the project will go out to bid in the spring. Construction is slated for this year. The city unveiled the project in 2019.

"The project team worked on several design variations that balanced aesthetics, safety and constructability that would be the least disruptive to the traveling public.  This required multiple iterations of designs, submittals and reviews and took longer than originally anticipated"

The bridge will stretch across 277, connecting South End to Uptown""

[videtur quam contuor]

It will never look like that. Ever. 

I sent my concerns to the the council about the UDO three weeks ago and added about this bridge and the W Trade rail station. Her answer, the only person who answered me, included an anodyne response about UDO and these sentences following:

 

"I am connecting you with Liz Babson, Assistant City Manager who I have copied on this email to provide you with an update on the pedestrian bridge over 277, Brooklyn project, and the rail station project on West Trade.  Ms. Babson, thank you for your assistance."

Have I heard from Ms Babson? No, I have heard nothing from Ms. Babson.

edit: Ajmera was the only respondent to my email message and hers is the reply I quote above.

Edited February 29 by videtur quam contuor

[DJ8hep]

2 hours ago, KJHburg said:

from Joe Bruno Twitter tonight

""A new rendering and a new timeline for the Rail Trail pedestrian bridge. The city tells me the project will go out to bid in the spring. Construction is slated for this year. The city unveiled the project in 2019.

"The project team worked on several design variations that balanced aesthetics, safety and constructability that would be the least disruptive to the traveling public.  This required multiple iterations of designs, submittals and reviews and took longer than originally anticipated"

The bridge will stretch across 277, connecting South End to Uptown""

Here we go!!

[CLT Development]

1 hour ago, videtur quam contuor said:

It will never look like that. Ever. 

I sent my concerns to the the council about the UDO three weeks ago and added about this bridge and the W Trade rail station. Her answer, the only person who answered me, included an anodyne response about UDO and these sentences following:

 

"I am connecting you with Liz Babson, Assistant City Manager who I have copied on this email to provide you with an update on the pedestrian bridge over 277, Brooklyn project, and the rail station project on West Trade.  Ms. Babson, thank you for your assistance."

Have I heard from Ms Babson? No, I have heard nothing from Ms. Babson.

 

Theres someone that posts on this page that is working on the engineering on this project, so its very much so in progress.

[J-Rob]

12 hours ago, CLT Development said:

Theres someone that posts on this page that is working on the engineering on this project, so its very much so in progress.

Does anyone know if the bridge will be engineered to also work above a river in the future?