Ed Lufkin, an increasingly active blogger for 3 Northfield area organizations, posted to the Rotary’s blog last week a photo of Jesse James Bike Tour (JJBT) chair Neil Lutsky presenting a check for $20,000 to Peggy Prowe of the Mill Towns Trail. Today I noticed that construction on the bridge has visibly progressed. The bridge was supposed to have been constructed last year. (continued)
I don’t see anything about these latest developments on the Mill Towns Trail news page nor the Mill Towns Trail Board site but then, I’ve whined about that before to no avail.
What a great contribution! Rotary and the J.J. Tour provide so much to the community!
It will also be a great access way to the proposed transit hub.
In today’s Nfld News: Spiraling costs may mean rerouting trail in town.
The Nfld News criticizes the citizens and officials involved with the Mill Towns Trail in today’s editorial: Mill Towns Trail section needs work.
One would think the best way to connect the trail would be to run it across the private property through the driveway between the old Mr. Movies and Just Food, connecting it with Water Street.
This would be an inexpensive option (cheaper than going behind the properties. However, this involves the property owners, who do not want to have anything to do with it.
This is going to be a costly undertaking for several hundred feet of trail with a very pleasant view of trash dumpsters, and smelly Chinese food.
Even if we get the trail in, we are going to need to do something about the appearance of the backs of these buildings.
This design problem should be taken to the Park and Rec Advisory board; we have three very highly trained and experienced professionals there(and a bunch more members who are very informed) who could undoubtedly come up with the best idea:Spencer Jones, internationally known landscape designer, Nathan Knutson, internationally known architect, and Dennis Easely, Carleton’s own landscape management guru.
When the staff cannot come up with a solution that is obvious, it’s time to go to the design specialists, whom we are so fortunate to have on our citizen board. This is beyond just the engineering or property logistics; it needs some experienced, creative thought applied.
Just one more reason why we should be paying MORE attention to our citizen advisory boards and commissions, not trying to cut them back.
I blogged the arrival of the Mill Towns Trail bridge girders on Friday. Katy Gehler-Hess, City Engineer, had this update in the April 17 Friday Memo:
I’ll see if she can comment about the problems with the portion of the trail that will connect the bridge to 5th St. and Water St.
I just noticed that Community Development Director Brian O’Connell has this update in the same Friday Memo:
Katy Gehler-Hess, City Engineer, reports in the April 24 Friday Memo:
Still no word on how they’re going to solve the problems around the portion of the trail that will connect the bridge to 5th St. and Water St.
Griff has asked me if I have any updates on the trail connection from Riverside Park to 5th Street. I’m afraid I have no newer information than what Brian O’Connell has been quoted as reporting in post #8. However, when firmer plans and estimates come back to the council I will try to make sure you are informed. My understanding is that all of the land/building owners rejected the opportunity to have the trail come through their property, but at least we asked one more time.
The bigger issue is going to be how we prioritize all of the projects in the pipeline (trail connection, widening the sidewalk on 5th Street bridge, potential Skate Park Plaza, kiosk at the corner of 3 and 19, additional improvements downtown…), and figuring out where Master Development funds can/should be used and when they come available. To that end, the Mayor’s Streetscape Taskforce will reconvene in the next few weeks and will tackle some of these issues. The group will consist of building owners, business owners, NDDC folks, and interested citizens. So they will be a helpful resource as the council moves forward.
On the topic of the new bridge across the Cannon, it looks like, weather permitting, that the big day is Monday! With three cranes on the clock, it would take a heck of a storm to postpone this project. So get your cameras charged up! I believe the City is planning on documenting this installation as well. After the “erector set” pieces are connected there is sill much work to do, including pouring a concrete deck, so it will be a while before the bridge is open to the public, but it will be an exciting project to watch over the next few weeks. I’ve rarely seen Peggy Prowe so excited as when sharing recent photos from the project at Rotary last Thursday!
Thanks for the info, Griff and Mary. Did I hear somewhere that an alternate route for the M.T. Trail would avoid 5th and Water by going on bike lanes up 7th St. for a few blocks? (Remember bike lanes are on the street.)
Mary, please have the Mayor’s Streetscape Task Force include the topic of downtown bike lanes in its analysis. I refer them to the Parks, Trails, and Open Space Master Plan; the map is online with the plan, which will tell them which portions are downtown.
It’s also possible that Rotary may be a resource to help fund bikeway improvements, given their stewardship of the J. James Bike Tour.
Thanks for the update, Mary. ‘Twould be nice to get more details from City Engineer Katy Gehler-Hess. She had a two-paragraph update on the bridge in the 4/24 Friday memo but nothing about this issue.
Bill, glad you brought up the issue of street bike lanes for the trail’s route through Northfield. It seems odd to me that this isn’t settled yet. The MTT website has no info, either.