Triangle Parks and Greenways

[ChiefJoJo]

Bull City Rising--a contributor here on occasion-- reports that the American Tobacco Trail project in Durham near Southpoint appears to be moving forward. I believe this is the segment that will include a new bride over I-40, perhaps similar to the large multi-use arch structure over I-440 in W. Raleigh.

[ncwebguy]

Yesterday I biked south of downtown Raleigh through Shaw's campus and down the Wilmington Street bridge to check out the eastern extension of the greenway from NC State to Pullen Park to Dix. The tunnel under South Saunders now uses the same Cree LED lighting as the city's parking deck at Dawson/Morgan/McDowell. It is well caged (to prevent breaking) but does a good job of keeping the corridor lit.

Going further east, the greenway now crosses Wilmignton south of City Farm road and continues east between 440 and the bus junkyard visible from Person Street/Hammond Road. I think it was paved in the last couple of months, because that is the way I access the beltline most of the time. The greenway then tunnels under Person/Hammond via the fourth/furthest north "channel" of the existing stream tunnel. But after the recent rains, it had a couple of inches of mud, and was a long tunnel, so I only took a few steps before turning around.

From there I went up South Fayetville Street by the Bain Water treatment plant and then caught the greenway to the Boylan intersection. I wanted to go further west to check out the section near the track and softball complex, but I was running out of daylight and it was quite windy/cold.

On the beltline near Crabtree, there seems to be work being done on the utility easment in the House Creek maps, but I didn't notice much greenway construction.

[JeffC]

Anyone have a link to a map of future/proposed greenways in Raleigh? I ask, because I explored Lassiter Falls (adjacent to the bridge where St. Mary's/Lassiter Mill Road passes over Crabtree Creek), which is a cool place, but the Crabtree greenway comes to a dead end there just past the former mill site. Is there a timeline/plan for extending that greenway?

BTW, Lassiter falls is a beautiful site, if you haven't been there. Lots of cool raceways/spillways remaining from the former mill...

[RaleighRob]

Anyone have a link to a map of future/proposed greenways in Raleigh? I ask, because I explored Lassiter Falls (adjacent to the bridge where St. Mary's/Lassiter Mill Road passes over Crabtree Creek), which is a cool place, but the Crabtree greenway comes to a dead end there just past the former mill site. Is there a timeline/plan for extending that greenway?

That little part of paved trail by the mill site is actually just a spur to see the site and access parking.

The actual greenway, coming from the east (ie, along Crabtree Creek from Anderson Heights), goes south along Lassiter Rd for a block then heads west below Root School, then follows Heartford Road, goes thru the woods (including a small unpaved portion), then goes along Alleghany Dr up towards North Hills Park then to Crabtree Mall Area.

See: http://www.raleighnc.gov/portal/server.pt/...reenway_Map.pdf

(The spur going into the parking lot at the mill site is too short to show up on this map...but it would aprox be right above the big pink P at Lassiter.

[orulz]

It's a cool area and it would be nice if the greenway was continuous through there, but any potential route would have to cross Crabtree Creek there at the cul-de-sac there and go literally through the backyards of some of the most expensive houses in the city. The tax values of these homes (there are seven) starts at 1.5 million and goes up to over 2 million. These high property values and the opposition from the people who live in them would probably kill any discussion of connecting the greenway through there before the first word came out of any planner's or politician's mouth.

The truth is, though, the trail actually doesn't end there; you continue on-road for a ways (about 1/4 mile total on foot and about 3/4 mile on bike). The reason the distance on-road is longer on foot than it is on a bike is that there is a stairway leading down from Hertford street to a dirt single-track trail by the creek that can't really be negotiated while mounted on a bike. (Biking that segment is prohibited, too.)

Here is my google map of the connections through there.

It's a bit annoying, because besides Lassiter Mill, this is a high-quality trail with only 3 other at-grade crossings between Umstead and Raleigh Boulevard. A complete inventory of these crossings:

1. Anderson Drive (This could be eliminated by putting the trail under the bridge -- I bet this will happen eventually, perhaps when the Anderson Drive bridge is rebuilt in a decade or two)

2. Crabtree Valley Mall driveway across from Homewood Banks (This one will probably have to stay)

3. Parking lot behind Soleil (no traffic has used this since the Sheraton closed, and the crossing will be eliminated entirely when Soleil turns the parking lot into green space)

That's it!

[Jones_]

Great trail. I used to take this from Kiawanis Park all the way to Crabtree Valley Mall. The little piece of trail that is steep keeps things interesting I think....I have to carry my bike though because its even too steep to push it. The sidewalk before that dirt part is wider than the regular sidewalk possibly because it is greenway sidewalk. The steep hill up onto the bluff behind the school is tough on a bike...must have been pretty cool in the days beore any of it was developed....prime woodland indian site for sure. I love all the private docks people have out in the creek bwtween the beltline and Lassiter Falls. Lots of Mosquitos in the summer but beautiful to look at the terrain. You pass within sight of John Edwards old house too.

[JeffC]

FYI, the elevated boardwalk that carries the Crabtree Greenway coming from Atlantic Avenue up to its crossing under Capital (and is, in my opinion, one of the coolest segments on the entire greenway system) has been shut down due to erosion around some of the footings (I noticed that erosion last year...guess it took the parks and rec folks a while to notice...) Unfortunately there is no easy detour other than taking Atlantic to Hodges Street over to Capital, a throroughly uninspiring urban streetscape (unless you like dilapidation). Monitor Joe Miller's Get Out Get Fit Blog over on the N&O webpage for updates...they are "supposed" to let the repair contract in the next two months, but another repair on that stretch has been in limbo since 2006, so don't hold your breath...

[Jones_]

^to my delight though, the greenway along Walnut Creek between S Saunders and Centennial Campus is nearly complete. I havn't explored all of it but it appears both a spur from Shelly Lake and the trail along Centennial pkwy connect in behind Ameriking on Lake Wheeler Road. I found cool stuff on the creek...a collapsing train trestle that used to go the rear of Flowserve and the old water intake for Caraleigh Mills is still sitting there.

[DPK]

^to my delight though, the greenway along Walnut Creek between S Saunders and Centennial Campus is nearly complete. I havn't explored all of it but it appears both a spur from Shelly Lake and the trail along Centennial pkwy connect in behind Ameriking on Lake Wheeler Road. I found cool stuff on the creek...a collapsing train trestle that used to go the rear of Flowserve and the old water intake for Caraleigh Mills is still sitting there.

I'd really like to take a look at that trestle and take some pictures. I have a thing for abandoned train things. Where would be the best way to access the trail from Centennial to get to it?

[Jones_]

I'd really like to take a look at that trestle and take some pictures. I have a thing for abandoned train things. Where would be the best way to access the trail from Centennial to get to it?

Its a little less than a complete trestle.....about four groupings of pilings nearly falling over from erosion by the creek with concrete support lintels on top and approach grades on both sides of the creek that are about 6 feet above the normal surface level (10 ft above creek level). I still was wowed by this unexpected relic.....where Centennial signals with Lake Wheeler there is gravel-only trail heading east directly adjacent to the AmeriKing Food Mart. A short section of trail goes under the active train trestle but if your on a bike you have to dismount here. Total its a fast 5 minute ride and its on your right. If you make it to the concrete passage for S Saunders you have gone too far. The water intake is on the right a few hundred yards before the decaying trestle. Enjoy.

[ncwebguy]

It is visible on this Google map of the area. Following the path east, it looks like it goes under South Saunders, between the Red Roof Inn and 440, and connects to the park near Summit Avenue near the old Water Treatment plant. Going around there, you can get to the greenway that parallels 440 and goes under Hammond Road and on to Garner Road, etc. Though there isn't much of interest that way, though I haven't checked out the area east of Hammond to see the intersection with those train tracks.

[ChiefJoJo]

You can leave your thoughts and ideas here for what you want/expect from the next Raleigh Parks & Rec Director. They are going to be interviewing candidates this summer FYI.

[ncwebguy]

The Crabtree Creek trail from Raleigh Blvd to Wake Forest Road was open on Memorial Day. There is an old (but working) train tressel over the creek (and greenway) just east of Capitol, a continuation of the tracks that cross Capitol near Pedan Steel. There were a few cyclists, but not walkers/joggers on the trail till I got close to the back side of the Longbranch.

The trail is boardwalk from Raleigh Blvd into the "lake" and then into the woods for a while. It was closed for years after Alberto, and was fun to finally ride it. There is a gazebo on the lake, but it looked like someone used it as a shelter as a blanket had been left in it. The trail is has a long climb/decent from below Capitol to behind the old Heliport. With the train tracks and creek, Pedan Steel must have been something back in the day.

Biking back, I followed the side road west of Capitol near the Hodges road intersection, but it only comes to the back side of the recycling plant on Atlantic. There is no good "at grade" crossing of the active tracks, but there is a spur that has been overgrown but re-emerges behind the distribution center near Horniblows Tavern.

[orulz]

I checked back at Raleigh's House Creek Greenway page and it has been updated. The final construction plans should be complete by October, and construction will begin in February.

Evidently, rather than crossing Glen Eden or Lake Boone at grade, they will build tunnels under these thoroughfares. For Lake Boone, that will mean a brand new tunnel, but at Glen Eden they might just simply just go under the existing I-440 bridge.

It would be great if they could manage a grade separated connection to the Crabtree Creek greenway but I don't think that's in the plans for the near term. Maybe when Blue Ridge Road is eventually rebuilt as a curb-and-gutter facility with sidewalks. Who knows when that will be.

[Jones_]

I took the greenway home from work Friday (in the rain as it was) from Raleigh Blvd to Kiawanis Park. A large portion is causeway as many of you know. I found it to be quite serene and wild looking, more so than sections in north raleigh and near the mall. One part, behind the heliport is a sort of viaduct hanging from a bluff a good 40 feet above the creek. I could imagine a woodland indian hunting group perched up there surveying the scene pre-colonization.

[orulz]

There was an article in yesterday's N&O about the Neuse River Greenway extension which is being funded by the stimulus.

Unlike many folks around here, I didn't grow up in North Raleigh - and never had occasion to visit until earlier this month when we had a warm spell for a couple of days and the wife and I decided to go for a walk on the Falls Lake Trail near the dam. That's a very nice trail, and I couldn't help but think that it would be nice if it stretched further.

This 8-mile extension will take the trail all the way from near the dam to Horseshoe Farm Park, near Louisburg.

Check here for the City's page on the project.

[orulz]

I noticed the following item in the agenda for the April 7 City Council Meeting:

1. Control of Access Agreement - House Creek Greenway/Wade Avenue Connector

The Wade Avenue Connector is a greenway connector/access located along the northern

right of way of Wade Avenue extending from the intersection of Wade Avenue and

Ridge Road to the Reedy Creek Trail at the eastern end of the pedestrian bridge over I-

440. This route is located within the Control of Access area of I-440. The use of this

area for a greenway connector requires execution of a Control of Access Agreement

between the City of Raleigh and North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT).

Recommendation:

Authorize the City Manager to execute the agreement.

In other words, this project has been held back by bureaucratic red tape stemming from the fact that it includes a connector between the greenway and Ridge Rd inside the Wade Avenue right-of-way and along the onramp to the beltline, both of which are controlled access highways at that point.

Hopefully we'll see a contract awarded and construction underway before too long. I've been looking forward to this greenway for years.

[JeffC]

I noticed the following item in the agenda for the April 7 City Council Meeting:

In other words, this project has been held back by bureaucratic red tape stemming from the fact that it includes a connector between the greenway and Ridge Rd inside the Wade Avenue right-of-way and along the onramp to the beltline, both of which are controlled access highways at that point.

Hopefully we'll see a contract awarded and construction underway before too long. I've been looking forward to this greenway for years.

This connector is the solution to the "Meredith College locking the gates at dusk" problem that has interfered with neighborhood access to the pedestrian bridge.

[orulz]

I'm working on a Google Map of all the major greenway trails in the Triangle. Still definitely a work in progress. See it here. So far I've only mapped the greenways that I've actually traveled on before.

I'm trying to be pretty detailed, and I'm also deliberately excluding any discontinuities and "multi use trails" that cross too many driveways to be safe.

When I say "Major" greenways, I mean ones that can easily accommodate biking: at least a 10' wide trail, paved or unpaved.

Drawing this map, this has kind of made me realize that there are a number of pretty big gaps in the system where the city has pretty much said "Good enough" where I don't necessarily agree. I guess extending the network is a higher priority than fixing nagging issues with existing, already popular greenways, but some of this has to figure into the city's plans somewhere.

Chief among them is the gap at Old Lassiter Mill - because the detour is confusing, requires five turns with poor signage, and forces you to either ride on Lassiter Mill Road (where cars zoom by quickly) or a narrow sidewalk. Between the City and the School System, they already have all the land and/or greenway easements that would be necessary to fix this, so why don't they? Not a priority I guess?

[orulz]

OK so turns out there were some easements still outstanding for the House Creek Greenway, both of them involving Meredith College in some way. Since there was a federal deadline stating that all property and easements must be required by 6/1/2009, and the last council meeting before then was may 19, there were a couple of condemnation proceedings on the agenda. I guess the city probably went through with the condemnations. So does this mean that construction can start?

[orulz]

Just noticed the city's website for this project was updated on 5/20. That must mean that the city approved condemnation of the easements. Actually there were three: (1) from Meredith College, (1) from Grubb (who owns The Palms apartment complex), and (1) from a private homeowner. There is federal money going towards this project and the stipulation was that all property and easements must be acquired by June 1.

The city's website now includes final design documents & a schedule. Construction should begin in September.

[JeffC]

The city's website now includes final design documents & a schedule. Construction should begin in September.

Hey, check out Sheet 11 of the project drawings...it indicates a 10" elm about 12 feet off the greenway. I thought all the Elm trees in America had been killed by Dutch Elm disease...is this one of the rare survivors? Be worth a trip on this greenway just to see that tree...

[orulz]

Hey, check out Sheet 11 of the project drawings...it indicates a 10" elm about 12 feet off the greenway. I thought all the Elm trees in America had been killed by Dutch Elm disease...is this one of the rare survivors? Be worth a trip on this greenway just to see that tree...

Maybe so, or it could be a naturally resistant (probably asian) variety of Elm that was planted there. This tree is located in a low-lying field near The Palms apartment complex. The Palms was built in the late 50s I think. This particular field used to house several apartment buildings that were a part of the complex, but flooded repeatedly and were condemned / demolished by FEMA sometime in 2000 or 2001. The land was then conveyed to the City for use as a park.

The tree in question...

In any case, if you're interested you could walk out there any time and check it out yourself, since it's readily accessible and on city-owned land.

[Jones_]

Hey, check out Sheet 11 of the project drawings...it indicates a 10" elm about 12 feet off the greenway. I thought all the Elm trees in America had been killed by Dutch Elm disease...is this one of the rare survivors? Be worth a trip on this greenway just to see that tree...

My mother's house has two Elm trees in its backyard, both growing out of stumps. My thought was that some living bit managed to survive down in that stump and started growing again. A park ranger pointed them out to me one day, who lived nearby. I do not know the exact variety but one is a clump of about 10, 3" diameter trees and the other is about 6" in diameter. Both are on the edge of a steep slope that stays moist next to a pond that was likely a creek when the blight hit.

On condemnation...as long as money is deposited with the court, a municipality has legal access to a site. Federal law governs some of this via the Uniform Relocation Act.

[orulz]

Recent news about the American Tobacco Trail:

The Triangle Conservationist has an entry about riding the ATT from end to end. Looks like the bridges over Panther Creek and Northeast Creek are getting to be nearly complete. (as an aside, the post about longleaf pines is interesting, too.) Scheduled completion is in September, but in government project speak that probably means December or early January.

Bull City Rising mentions that the design for the bridge over I-40 has been released on Durham's website (along with a color rendering.) This one's supposed to be done in 2010.

It will be nice to have this trail finished at last.