The Trail System is slowly coming along. Not fast enough for my liking but the building crew has been working on it steadily. Still under current construction is the continuation of the existing Railroad Pass Trail.
The old city trail was well used but the surface has not aged well. Grass has grown over the edges of the asphalt and significantly narrowed it. When first constructed, it could handle a bicycle going each way. Now the area is barely a lane and a half wide. This old portion spans about a mile from Parkway east to South Washington.
The new construction is very nice. The paving is concrete; ten feet wide and smooth. As I type, there is a continous stretch from Oakwood to Cleveland. This includes a railroad crossing. Also from Parkway to Cleveland, the trail is spotty and still in need of completion. In the past I have ridden this section when it was dirt and it was fun. But now, it’s even better; fast, smooth, and car-free. You feel like you can travel without any effort and speed. While it was a great workout previously, it now is a serious way to get to where you need to go.
But the best treatment so far is the new bridge near Hayes School. It spans the troublesome drainage channel. There is a pedestrian only bridge just south that was used by people going to Hayes. And I hope it remains. But this new one may replace it.
All and all, the Trail System will be a welcome addition to Enid. My hope is they will quickly turn to a North/South route next. It is greatly needed. As I said before, North Cleveland is a dangerous road. And South Cleveland is safest route to Vance Air Force Base. Connecting the base with the north will be huge.
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