Shoal Creek bike trail closure...

Hey guys –


On the agenda for tonight’s BAC meeting, there’s an item that reads, “Discussion of the Policies Around Bike Path Closures i.e. the Shoal Creek Path at Caesar Chavez (Michael Cockram).”


I can’t make the meeting tonight, but I thought I’d pass along the email below that I sent today, and the attached PowerPoint I presented at the Downtown Commission last night. If anybody has similar concerns, feel free to forward this so we can coordinate.


Thanks for your work on the BAC –


Chris





From: Chris Riley [mailto:chris1310@sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2008 4:48 PM
To: 'darryl.haba@ci.austin.tx.us'
Subject: lower Shoal Creek Trail


Hey Darryl:


I left you a voicemail today about the current situation on Lower Shoal Creek, between 3rd Street and Lady Bird Lake .


I’m attaching the PowerPoint I presented to the Downtown Commission about this last night. It includes photos showing the current situation down there. The commissioners were concerned, and suggested that I contact Public Works staff. I think that would be you, based on the information at http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/publicworks/armstrong.htm .


As the City’s Bike-Ped staff point out in their own PowerPoint (excerpts of which are included in mine), “The trail should be closed only when absolutely necessary and the closure should be as brief as possible.” The closure you’ve been overseeing has dragged on FAR longer than necessary, without providing any legal access for bikes & peds.


I would like to see these steps taken immediately:


· Removal of the two large signs saying the 3rd Street pedestrian bridge is closed. That bridge is NOT closed; the signs are simply false, and are discouraging bike-ped activity that we ought to be encouraging.


· Removal of the signs saying “TRAIL CLOSED” and “BIKE TRAIL CLOSED.” The improvised trail that has appeared during the course of this project is safer and clearer than many well-established, legal bike trails in this city. If any signs are considered necessary, I’d suggest signs saying something like, “Caution: Trail Work Ahead.”


· Removal of the remnants of fencing that people now cross over to use the trail. I think it’s reasonable to keep fencing up around the area where actual work is going on (i.e., the orange fencing that’s still intact in slides 8-12). But the rest of the fencing (visible in slides 6 & 13-15) is just unsightly clutter, and should be removed.


Please give me a call or email when you can to discuss this.


Sincerely,


Chris Riley