PLEASE HELP Avoid trail closure.

[jdog]

https://www.change.org/petitions/d-...en-jacques-lane-and-canal-road-at-6-mile-run#

The D& R parks commission is looking to permanently close the RED trail that connects Jacques lane and Canal road.

http://app.strava.com/segments/1599716

While this has technically been a closed trail for ten+ years, (and off the official park map) it does get daily use and it allows users to make a complete loop of the park.

The park officials will see your responses on the petition, so please make a case for making it a legal section of trail.

Please use kind words.

EDIT: I remove the park officials emails from this today after they called me because of 300+ emails they received.

Emailing them directly at this point may do more harm than good, STILL sign the petition.

 

[alex_k]

signed

 

[MikeP]

Wow that would really suck. I'll post it up on some of the south jersey FB pages. Also, signed.

 

[kidzach]

Signed

Is there a reason for this? Maybe us traveling on that very narrow portion of Canal Rd for a short distance?If this is the case, is there a way to build a new section crossing the brook behing the parking lot and linking to blue?

 

[Sunset325]

I signed the petition.

 

[pooriggy]

Signed. If you're a fan of mountain biking, Jdog, or doing the right thing...fill this out and let you're voice be heard.

 

[Kirt]

Done. thanks J

 

[WJF]

What is driving the closure of the important Red trail link?
Canal road use/safety or property boundary issues at the staked area?
Closure will cause more road use from Jacques lot to Canal lot.

 

[Carson]

Signed. Thanks for bringing this to my attention, Jay.

 

[jdog]

The issue on the table is the users on canal road between the end of the "closed" red and the canal lot.

Ironically, if this trail is closed off, riders will have to ride the length of Jacques and then canal to access the whole loop.. Way more time on the road.


The park management does not view the park as one loop.

They have a hard time understanding that most people ride the entire system every visit.

Please sigh this and leave a personal message.

 

[BiknBen]

Canal Rd. between the trailhead and the parking lot is too narrow to handle hiker/biker traffic safely. A river crossing makes a resolution difficult. Easier to close the trail than provide accommodations for users on Canal Rd. Closing the trail in order to "discourage" users is lame.

For those of us using that trail, use caution when exiting onto Canal Rd. The road is so narrow you need to look both ways for traffic. If someone gets hit, that trail would be closed immediately.

I signed the petition.

 

[Dirtdog]

signed

 

[gmb3]

signed. I've looked at it before and with some work, there can be singletrack BEHIND the guardrail to keep us off the road. jdog, have you suggested this?

 

[PatrickBrown]

Signed and shared

:getsome:

 

[Wobbegong]

Some history on this section.....

http://www.mtbnj.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13052

We really tried hard to convince the park staff to keep this trail as part of the recognized system. As Ben said, they have serious concerns about liability at the canal road trailhead. The also expressed concern about erosion along the trail. We walked the section with them, and gave our ideas for reroutes and remediation. Chapter leads from other jorba parks were part of the assessment and the creation of a reroute and remediation plan. Our plan was sound and solid. Frank and I also had a sit down meeting with the park staff. We again reviewed our plan for a course forward, and explained how this section maintains the continuity of the trail system. We also discussed how rouge building, improperly executed, would most likely be the outcome... The concern of liability was too strong to reach an agreement. It was made clear to us that the trail was to not be marked, or part of the map... If too much attention was drawn towards the use of this trail, they would remediate the trail and fence it off....

 

[Wobbegong]

signed. I've looked at it before and with some work, there can be singletrack BEHIND the guardrail to keep us off the road. jdog, have you suggested this?

This was also discussed as part of our plan.

 

[rick81721]

signed and commented

 

[MannyL358]

Done!

 

[Patrick]

signed and commented.

 

[MikeG]

Signed.