@mstone 202011 wrote:
Even the best trails in the region have issues. Take the W&OD near route 9, where at the best of times it’s ridiculously narrow, squeezed in, with bad sight lines, and now has weeds covering literally one entire lane on a blind turn. If only we could find a little money to improve the trail. Completely unrelated: the new roundabouts & such were part of a $28 million project to add a lane to route 7 for about 2 miles. That’s about the same as NVRPA’s annual budget, which mostly goes into the water parks, etc.; the W&OD’s share averages about $1M/year operating & capital. Ironically the W&OD actually makes about $750k/year from utility easements and similar sources and pays for itself more than any non-toll-road in the region.
Tangentially related perhaps, but I’ve found a really nice alternative to the W&OD through there up to the point where the trail runs along Route 9 near the traffic circle. I’m sure some others know it, but if not: eastbound on the trail at Hamilton, right on 704 to the immediate left on Irene Road/706. Right on Meadowlark, then right on Simpson. Those two parallel Route 7 all the way to 9. I’ve done this a bunch of times and rarely encounter more than a car or two. I’ve also only ever seen one other cyclist, so let’s keep this to ourselves. /s
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