Archive for August 2009

trailways report

31. August 2009 by Kevin.

WALKWAY OTH

8-24

The last sections of the pre-fab conconcrete deck are stacked up just west of Water St. in the city of Poughkeepsie.In between the 2 crews, and underneath the  little crane, steel workers are working on the bridge structure.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

trailways report

21. August 2009 by Kevin.

DUTCHESS RAIL TRAIL

08-16-09


There is a new, handicap accesible, porta-potty at the south end of the Overocker Rd. parking lot. Also there are new signs here, and at Morgan Lake for a walking path. I had also seen signs for additional parking at the Poughkeepsie town hall. This section of the RT has become very popular indeed!

WALKWAY OTH


08-18-09


The 2 crews are now only about 100 yards apart from each other. The decking and railing west crew, which started out from Highland last year,were placeing some of the last sections of decking. The bridge structure west crew, with that little crane on a truck, were lifting something into place in the area between the 2 decking crews. I could finaly see what precisely that “little crane” is sitting on, and more detail of the truck it self.That truck seems to be more than a small crane on the back of a flat-bed. I had cropped a section of the photo I had taken and could see that there is a large compressor section just behind the cab. I had seen that the truck is sitting on pre-fab wood deck sections with a short section of railing. I don’t know if prep work for the future elevator was being done, or if this was ongoing bridge structure work.


08-15-09


east end - C.O.P. - decking now up to Water St., now over the MNCRR rail yard. Work has begun on the east end entrance off Parker Ave. - SR 9G.The remnants of an old stone wall have been uncovered, and can be seen from the street.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

trailway report

11. August 2009 by Kevin.

WALKWAY OTH

08-11-9

  The east crew, and decking, are over the Metro North RR yard in Poughkeepsie. The west crew are over the pavilion behind the Children’s Museum on Water Street. A welder from the east crew was doing some welding along the edge on top of the bridge where the decking is placed. There was also work being done on the east end access area next to the junkyard. A buldozer was clearing and leveling. I could see an old concrete abutment/wall on the old RR ROW.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

trailways update

10. August 2009 by Kevin.

WALKWAY OTH


Walkway OTH - the 2 crews in Poughkeepsie

Walkway OTH - the west crew putting putting in a section of decking

08-06-09

The 2 crews are now in Poughkeepsie - they are now only a few blocks from each other. The west crew was putting in some sections of decking on this day

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

trailways report

3. August 2009 by Kevin.

DUTCHESS RAIL TRAIL


07-18-09

there is now a solar powered * TCL at Grand Ave with a motion / proximity sensor. When a cyclist, or pedestrian, approaches there are LED lights that flash for both the RT and the roadway* TCL = Traffic Control Light

07-13-09


I am now incorporating the DRT in my ride from the Arlington library to the Stop and Shop in the rt. 44 plaza.the route from the library to Stop and Shop:
LEFT onto Davis Ave. LEFT FairmontRIGHT Manchester Rd. (old rt. 55)LEFT at pedestrian crosswalk onto path / side walk through woods for 100 ft.CAUTION!CROSS SR 55 at TCL (use ped xing signal control)* E.R.S.O.B. NYS DOT region 8 HQ *RIGHT Overocker Rd. 6% grade maxLEFT DRT 1.1 mi - north
CAUTION! * M.U.R.T. pedestrians roller-bladers people with walkers (see below)
go under rt. 44EXIT DRT at LOVE ROAD on left side - 100 ft. after above
CAUTION! STEEP DOWNHILL (8% grade) SHARP CURVES SHOPPING PLAZA TRAFFIC


RIGHT at bottom of grade at Big Lots - then right onto main road through plaza in front of Big Lots then right then left to Stop and Shop
M.U.R.T. = Multi Use Recreational Trail
On Overocker Rd. there is now, where the orange construction sign was, an orange sign that says “RAIL TRIL AHEAD”I saw a number of parked cars on Love Rd. On this day the RT was very busy - seems like half the cycling population of Poughkeepsie was on the RT. Most of these cyclists are “newbies”. I saw a number of families, parents with children. I also had noticed, somewhat disturbingly, quite a number of those cyclists without helmets,most notably the younger children under the age of 16. Here in NY, children under the age of 16 are required to wear helmets. In addition,as per the “RULES OF THE TRAIL” helmets are required for everybody. As I passed one helmetless family, I taped the top of my helmet. And on the subject of the “newbies”. I always find it to be a bit embarasing when I “blow by” one of these “newbies” at 13 MPH. My usual touring cruise speed. I mean after all my cycling e mail address is slowrider@bicycle.bigk12603.com and I do not like to give the impression that I am one of those fast, pro racer “wana be’s”.


In addition to all the cyclists, rollerbladers, and hikers, I also saw some senior citizens / and or those that are physicaly chalenged with walkers.This is a first, for me, to see people with walkers on a rail trail! My guess this is quite common on some of the trailways in Florida.There are now mileage markers on the RT.The mileage is from Hopewell Jct. to Morgan Lake, therefore going south on the RT the mileage decreases and going north the mileage increases.The Love Rd. access still has those construction barrels.


the return route from Stop and Shop / rt. 44 plaza:reverse route back UP Love Rd. 8% grade max
LEFT DRT north
CAUTION! M.U.R.T.
LEFT onto Grand Ave. (mile HJ 11.3)CAUTION! traffic shared roadway CAUTION! stop at bottom of hillCROSS DeLavalFOOD DELICAUTION! STOP AT BOTTOM OF STEEP GRADE (8% grade)CROSS WEST arterial at TCLCAUTION! road narrows rough road constructionRIGHT Main St. at TCLFOOD McDonalds to right Wendy’s to left

WALKWAY OTH

07-22-09

east end - C.O.P. - decking now up to US rt. 9 - there is a long scafold on the south side of te bridge going along bridge long way east-west

Scenic Hudson - Franny Reese Preserve


07-14-09


I had found, after some digging on the SH web site, a map for a master plan to develop this area into a state park with improved trails,
interpretive signs, a main entrance /parking area with maps etc. It had seemed from the master plan map that there may be 2 access points off Mack Rd. The one I had found earlier to the north-west and another to the south-east. The second access seemed to be closer to the ruins of that windmil I had yet to see. I went for a short ride across the river, this day, to see if I could find that second access. When I had arrived at that first access  from US rt. 9W, I saw to my surprise that there was a buldozer was in the area of the access, and the base for a road had been made. There was a sign indicating the park was closed for construction as per that aforementioned master plan. I rode up Mack Rd. to see if I could find that second access, but I could not find it. I will now have to wait until Labor Day before I can ride the newly improved trails to the ruins of that windmil, and other structures.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

|