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Old November 15th 18, 03:29 AM posted to rec.bicycles.misc
Frank Krygowski[_4_]
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Default AG: Common Sense

On 11/14/2018 7:56 PM, Joy Beeson wrote:
Tuesday, 13 November 2018

I frequently use the Byer Farm Trail recreationway to get to Lincoln
Street. The Trail looks like a continuation of Lindenberg Drive, so
the builders put a gate across it, and widened the pavement for a few
feet to make it possible to walk around the gate.

About the time I became accustomed to riding around the shattered
remains of the gate, a large concrete block with a handle on top
replaced them. Each time I rode around it, I wondered whether a fire
truck or ambulance carried equipment capable of moving it. I think
half a dozen young men could move it without straining too much -- if
a sufficiently strong and stiff pole could be thin enough to fit
through the handle.

When I came through there yesterday, the portable barrier had been
replaced by a couple of bright yellow posts. I was pleased to notice
that the posts are either solid or capped, so that they won't core a
child who falls on them -- *and* they are tall enough that a child
*can't* fall on them.

I think an adult could, but he'd have to work at it.

I didn't look to see how they go about letting maintenance and
emergency vehicles in. Perhaps they didn't bother, since the trail
heads straight to the emergency room from there. You'd have to bound
over the grass, but there are no curbs in the way.

The new section of the Heritage Trail has half-gates, like railroad
crossings, secured by padlocks. I presume that maintenance crews have
keys and fire trucks have bolt cutters. The old section used to have
short folding posts in the middle of the trail, but they weren't
replaced when they wore away -- on this end, at least. I think the
Roy Street end has some sort of barrier.


Shattered gates? So some motorist plowed through them?

I'm jealous of the path exiting the cul-de-sac. I'd like to see a lot
more of them, particularly between the modern swanky developments out in
the cornfields. Around here, those developments pop up on ex-farm roads
and are purposely isolated from each other to prevent cut-through
traffic. But the bad side effect is that kids can't bike to school (or
anywhere else) without dealing with a narrow road intended for an
occasional farm tractor, but now carrying lots of impatient yuppies in
BMWs.

I've been told the last lot on the cul-de-sac is prestigious and worth
thousands of dollars more to the developer. But I bet having easy
non-motorized access would increase the value of every home in the
development.

--
- Frank Krygowski
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