PATH is partnering with the St. Simons Land Trust and Glynn County to propose a trail paralleling Sea Island Road from Demere Road to Frederica Road on the island. This is the last trail segment of the 2005 PATH master plan to be completed on St. Simons Island.
The 2.5 mile-long trail project will include a new pedestrian bridge over Dunbar Creek with fishing “bump- outs” to attract fishermen away from the narrow highway bridge (see picture). The trail will connect the bridge coming onto the island with the Sea Island Causeway Trail that the same partnership built in 2011.
In order to minimize intrusion into the marsh, PATH is proposing to drive fiberglass sheet piles parallel to the road and install the trail and railing on top of the piles (see picture below). The trail will likely cantilever a foot or more past the piles to provide sufficient seperation between the trail and the travel lane.
The conceptual plans will be converted to construction drawings during the year while the search for funding continues. Both PATH and the Land Trust have indicated a willingness to contribute to the project. The Glynn County Commissioners are considering a request to provide funding as well. The entire cost of developing the trail will be around $2.6 million.
The Rockdale River Trail now spans State Route 212 (Brown’s Mill Road) just west of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit. PATH crews hoisted the 120foot-long bridge into place May 14th while State Troopers detoured highway traffic around the site. The bridge will soon connect the new Monastery Visitor’s Center to Panola Mountain State Park and the entire Arabia Mountain Trail system. By year end, PATH plans to have the entire 25 mile Rockdale River-Arabia Mountain Trail system completed.
10th Street Cycle Track
The City of Atlanta, the Midtown Alliance, and PATH are building the City’s first cycle track on Tenth Street between Monroe Drive and Charles Allen Drive. The track, (example pictured to right), will allow two-way bicycle traffic separated from travel lanes, between Charles Allen and the Atlanta BeltLine at Monroe Drive. Even better, the new track will allow Midtown cyclists to travel through Piedmont Park to the Charles Allen entry and access the BeltLine without ever mixing with vehicular traffic.
Cycle Tracks are somewhat new to the United States. For years, safety experts discouraged two-way cycling on one side of the street saying it was more dangerous than simply riding on the street without any facility. However, studies show that far more people are likely to ride their bike when a separated facility is available and the injury rate either stays the same or decreases.
PATH plans to partner with the City to install more cycle tracks in the coming years. It is a more feasible, less expensive way to extend the PATH system into the city than building traditional multi-use trails.
The Tenth Street cycle track is being funded by the Midtown Alliance and your contributions to PATH. The Monroe to Charles Allen segment should be operational early this summer.