Edmond Trails

[Plutonic Panda]

Moving along: http://agenda.edmondok.com:8085/agen...q=5940&prev=0#

[BBatesokc]

Moving along: http://agenda.edmondok.com:8085/agen...q=5940&prev=0#

Been waiting for this to happen! We currently utilize the newly constructed sidewalk on East 15th to ride bikes to Walmart and Sam's (heading that way this morning to return some Red Box movies). When this proposed extension is added we can more easily get to the Mercy Fitness Center too.

By reading this am I to assume the sidewalk will end where it currently abruptly stops on the SE corner of Mercy's property? Wish it would extend to 33rd.

[Plutonic Panda]

Been waiting for this to happen! We currently utilize the newly constructed sidewalk on East 15th to ride bikes to Walmart and Sam's (heading that way this morning to return some Red Box movies). When this proposed extension is added we can more easily get to the Mercy Fitness Center too.

By reading this am I to assume the sidewalk will end where it currently abruptly stops on the SE corner of Mercy's property? Wish it would extend to 33rd.

I believe it will continue eventually to 33rd as a key price of property is going for auction. It's a prime price of land. But now as you said, it will probably just end.

I will use this a lot. I've been trying to actually find a nice road bike lately. I also hope they light the tunnel up at night so nothing weird goes on. I've already had to call the cops due to some very suspicious activity under the Covell underpass by BLVD. can't even imagine how bad underneath the highway would be if it wasn't lit up.

[Celebrator]

Is there an update on this? Is any part of this great proposal finished yet? I keep waiting to see something out there next to Sam's where they have this huge sign up about it and I don't see anything happening. I would love an update on this.

[Plutonic Panda]

Looks like the Mercy Trail has been completed. I think they have hit a snag with the I35 underpass, but it is still planned. Not sure if they have started it or not.

[ChaseDweller]

Mercy trail stops at the corner of 15th and I-35 service road presently.

[BBatesokc]

Really wish this would finish up soon. We use the trail as-is, but we have to go 'off road' between East 15th and Mercy.

[oklip955]

We used to have a non public jogging trail (dirt) that went behind fire station #4 and back into the trees. I've not been on it since the construction of Mercy.

[Plutonic Panda]

FYI this project is about to go for bid and start construction according to the city managers report. They sounded like this time it's for real so hopefully they will start to move dirt soon.

[corwin1968]

How hilly is the Arcadia/Edmond trail? If it varies, where are the flatter sections? I'm committed to a single-speed bike for awhile but I'm interested in checking out Arcadia.

[Zorba]

I wish they would hurry up on this project.

Also I really wish they would extend the trail that runs from Kelly to Boulevard in the high voltage power line right of way. It'd be really nice to extend it from Sooner to Portland. It would have very few road crossing, no parking lot crossing and I think it would be nice. It'd also get a lot of bike off the roads. It'd also connect a lot of people to Mitch Park via trail.

[oklip955]

First I'm not a bike rider. I'm a driver on the streets. Lots of people out in morning riding. I live on the east side of I-35 so yah, people come out here to ride to get away from traffic. The east side is developing, now is the time for the city of Edmond to start looking at acuring right of way to have a decent bike path along the streets so that folks on their bikes don't have to be riding down the middle of the road. Sure it would be nice to have walking trails along the powerline right of ways. but they need to be able to get there from their house/addition.

[Anonymous.]

How hilly is the Arcadia/Edmond trail? If it varies, where are the flatter sections? I'm committed to a single-speed bike for awhile but I'm interested in checking out Arcadia.

That makes you more beast! People look at me like I am crazy when I cruise trails on single gear.

[Zorba]

First I'm not a bike rider. I'm a driver on the streets. Lots of people out in morning riding. I live on the east side of I-35 so yah, people come out here to ride to get away from traffic. The east side is developing, now is the time for the city of Edmond to start looking at acuring right of way to have a decent bike path along the streets so that folks on their bikes don't have to be riding down the middle of the road. Sure it would be nice to have walking trails along the powerline right of ways. but they need to be able to get there from their house/addition.

Bike paths along the streets are better than nothing, but they can be very annoying and dangerous with all of the side street and parking lot entrance crossing, especially since Okies aren't great at looking for bikes/pedestrians. That is what makes the river park trails and turnpike trail in Tulsa so good. Look at the bike trial from Hefner to Overholser, there is a crossing every few hundred feet, which makes it a worthless trail IMHO. Edmond and OKC need to look for right of ways that require few crossing, such as around lakes, along rivers/creeks or in Highway/Powerline/Pipeline right of ways, this will get the bikes off the streets and on the trails.

[Plutonic Panda]

Groundbreaking on this is Oct. 24th

[Jersey Boss]

Bike paths along the streets are better than nothing, but they can be very annoying and dangerous with all of the side street and parking lot entrance crossing, especially since Okies aren't great at looking for bikes/pedestrians. That is what makes the river park trails and turnpike trail in Tulsa so good. Look at the bike trial from Hefner to Overholser, there is a crossing every few hundred feet, which makes it a worthless trail IMHO. Edmond and OKC need to look for right of ways that require few crossing, such as around lakes, along rivers/creeks or in Highway/Powerline/Pipeline right of ways, this will get the bikes off the streets and on the trails.

Trail Bikes and road bikes are two distinctly different bikes, each built for the type of terrain that is being ridden. Asking "roadies" to ride on trails instead of the street is a non-starter.

[MCC]

Trail Bikes and road bikes are two distinctly different bikes, each built for the type of terrain that is being ridden. Asking "roadies" to ride on trails instead of the street is a non-starter.

We are not just talking about different styles of bikes, we are also talking about why people ride. Some ride to get from point A to point B (work, school, another activity or purpose) so they might need to ride along streets. Others ride for exercise and pleasure, and trails they really don't go anywhere might do. The purposes might be combined, but they may not. Different purposes might require different trails.

[Plutonic Panda]

http://agenda.edmondok.com:8085/agen...sp=ag&seq=2022

[Zorba]

Trail Bikes and road bikes are two distinctly different bikes, each built for the type of terrain that is being ridden. Asking "roadies" to ride on trails instead of the street is a non-starter.

I see lots and lots and lots of road bikes on the trail around Hefner, the River Trails and the new West River Trail. The Tulsa river trails have a crazy number of road bikes on them. Even in the great bike friendly city of Seattle, roadies ride on trials where they are available. People I work with that ride to/from work a lot go out of their way to get on the trails so they don't have to ride with cars, including a guy that has placed first in may bike races.

BTW: The trails I am talking about are paved, so any type of bike can ride on them.

[Zorba]

We are not just talking about different styles of bikes, we are also talking about why people ride. Some ride to get from point A to point B (work, school, another activity or purpose) so they might need to ride along streets. Others ride for exercise and pleasure, and trails they really don't go anywhere might do. The purposes might be combined, but they may not. Different purposes might require different trails.

Not sure why people think that road bikes can't be ridden on paved trails, but I promise they can be and are every day. Ideally if your setup your trail system correctly, they make for great commuting paths for bikers. The River/turnpike trails in Tulsa are used for commuting by a lot of people, they are currently expanding them along 169, which will allow many more people to use them for commuting. I know people that use the South Grand trail in OKC to commute. If they ever actually finish the trail from the boathouses to Stanley Draper I might start riding to work on it.

No you can't eliminate all street riding, but you can setup your trails to basically be highways and city streets are used as feeders to the trunk. This allows the bikers to keep moving without tons of crossings/lights, safe from vehicles and vehicle crossings and makes bike commuting much more attractive. People biking for the exercise would also move from the roads to the trails for the most part. Ideally the trails would be put in right of ways with very few crossings, like high voltage power lines, pipelines, along highways (ideal if they can share underpasses), along rivers and railroad tracks.

As an example, the Tulsa River Trail is about 16+ miles of continuous trail. There are two crossings on the entire thing, both at the Casino and the county has been working hard to reroute the trail behind the casino to eliminate these crossings. You can get on this trail, and ride 20mph non-stop from South Tulsa all the way into downtown.

I bike a lot, and work with a lot of people that also bike a lot. We all talk about how the trails should be expanded, because we all hate riding along the roads in OKC. And we just now, finally, got a decent set of trails that extends more than 10 miles, with less than 5 crossings/mile.

[OKCisOK4me]

Why on earth would people think you cant ride a road bike on paved trails? If anything, it's you can't ride road bikes on off-road trails. Lol.

[Plutonic Panda]

City Of Edmond Breaks Ground For New Trails At Lake Arcadia - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports |

[Plutonic Panda]

Spring Creek Trail Edmond?s largest - The Edmond Sun: Community

[Plutonic Panda]

Update on the Arcadia Trail. They are apparently going to build an iconic bridge structure on each side of the highway outside of the service roads. Photos are in the article. I think it will look pretty good!

http://newsok.com/fundraising-goal-s...rticle/5465144

[Zorba]

I am really looking forward to this getting completed, but what I've never seen answered is whether or not this will be a free to use trail, since currently Arcadia is very expensive to use (for a city park).