Charlotte Rail Trail South

[archiham04]

We have been commenting on how out-of this world the rail trail has gotten, so I though I'd start a thread for Rail Trial specific discussion and photos.  No need to post too much about the buildings going up along the trail (most have their own threads). This thread'll be to post pics and discuss ongoing initiatives/projects , and suggest improvements

[dylansukkert]

Since the weather has gotten a lot nicer the rail trail is absolutely slammed. I feel bad for anyone trying to bike or scoot on it. We really need it open on both sides from New Bern to Tremont.  Once the Bradham at New Bern opens it’ll be on both sides from New Bern all the way to Solis Southline at Remount then Off Broadway to Auto Bell is killing that idea. Just a simple sidewalk is all we need. 

[atlrvr]

Would be nice if one side of the rails was bike+scooter and other side was pedestrian.

[Guest]

31 minutes ago, atlrvr said:

Would be nice if one side of the rails was bike+scooter and other side was pedestrian.

well honestly when Edens and Portman open, I suspect its going to become unpassable for bikes and scooters at some hours

[dylansukkert]

It looks like they are laying some sort of side walk at the Atherton part but there is almost no room between the old Atherton warehouse and the tracks. Any idea on how they can do this if at all possible? 

[Guest]

35 minutes ago, dylansukkert said:

It looks like they are laying some sort of side walk at the Atherton part but there is almost no room between the old Atherton warehouse and the tracks. Any idea on how they can do this if at all possible? 

Can you clarify your question haha. Are you talking about the space between what was Atherton Market and the tracks?

[dylansukkert]

Yes, so the red is where it appears they are laying sidewalk and the blue is where there is almost no room between the old Atherton and the tracks. Can they possibly squeeze a side walk in there?

[Guest]

5 minutes ago, dylansukkert said:

Yes, so the red is where it appears they are laying sidewalk and the blue is where there is almost no room between the old Atherton and the tracks. Can they possibly squeeze a side walk in there?

 

2

 

So heres a diagram based on your screen shot. The Red is the new Rail Trail through Edens.

So to breakdown the Rail Trail around Atherton Mill...

Edens is planning to overhaul the Trolley Barn, so the back half will be a revamped Market with space for vendors outside on the southwest side. The Front half will be a restaurant with garage doors opening up on three sides, including toward above the light rail.

The Rail Trail itself will snake up between Indaco and this future restaurant space. Basically, they created an intimate pathway that'll snake through the heart of the development. They plan Parisian style rope lighting overhead, tiered seating areas that are reminiscent of the High Line in NYC, and spaces for performance, and the aforemented market. 

This is why I keep yappin about this project. It and Portman are going to be beyond transformative to the Rail Trail.

Edited April 24, 2019 by Guest

[dylansukkert]

Awesome! Makes a lot of sense now. Can’t wait! 

[southslider]

6 hours ago, dylansukkert said:

We really need it open on both sides from New Bern to Tremont.  Once the Bradham at New Bern opens it’ll be on both sides from New Bern all the way to Solis Southline at Remount then Off Broadway to Auto Bell is killing that idea. Just a simple sidewalk is all we need. 

It's a shame the City prioritized filling the Eastside gap between New Bern and Remount, when it should have been between Remount and Tremont.  Pepsi ended up becoming apartments, while Auto Bell glaringly remains.

[Guest]

It's a shame the City prioritized filling the Eastside gap between New Bern and Remount, when it should have been between Remount and Tremont.  Pepsi ended up becoming apartments, while Auto Bell glaringly remains.

Both gaps will be addressed in 2019-20. If I’d actually get home from work before 9 everyday, I would have written an update article by now.


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[tozmervo]

6 hours ago, southslider said:

It's a shame the City prioritized filling the Eastside gap between New Bern and Remount, when it should have been between Remount and Tremont.  Pepsi ended up becoming apartments, while Auto Bell glaringly remains.

I don't think it was a matter of prioritizing. The trail has been built as the parcels have been redeveloped. 

[southslider]

4 hours ago, tozmervo said:

I don't think it was a matter of prioritizing. The trail has been built as the parcels have been redeveloped. 

New development has added much to the trail, but the City did prioritize gaps near Poindexter, thinking that development wouldn't happen.

6 hours ago, ricky_davis_fan_21 said:

Both gaps will be addressed in 2019-20. If I’d actually get home from work before 9 everyday, I would have written an update article by now.


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Atherton Mill will be addressed. What about the Auto Bell?

[Guest]

18 minutes ago, southslider said:

New development has added much to the trail, but the City did prioritize gaps near Poindexter, thinking that development wouldn't happen.

Atherton Mill will be addressed. What about the Auto Bell?

These Gaps, behind Autobell and Off Broadway Shoes are referred to as "Grove & Field" and will begin construction in the Fall, targeting a Spring-Summer 2020 completion. Below is a quote that was sent to me by Center City Partners for a article I'll eventually have time to write.

http://www.charlotterailtrail.org/projects/grove-field

Quote

• Grove & Field Gap
  Trail construction: Fall 2019

Placemaking: Spring 2020

• CCCP received Knight Foundation grant for this project, to address two gaps along the Trail (see map) behind AutoBell and Off Broadway
• These sites pose safety concerns with Trail users creating paths where they walk along the tracks
• Proposal included a functional, tactical trail, plus placemaking efforts including lighting, public art and seating, but funds did not include enough funds for the full, standard Trail
• CCCP worked with the City to highlight the need to fill in these gaps for safety, especially with the Trail at Atherton being built by EDENS and the soon to come Rampart Crossing

 

Edited April 24, 2019 by Guest

[southslider]

^Good to see these grants will complete what CIP didn't. 

[KJHburg]

a busy stroll along the Rail Trail today.  It is always great people watching and seeing what teams people support with their banners from their apartment balconies.  

I sure wish through the Hawkins Portman container tunnel,  people would walk their bikes and or scooters.  

This is the most accidental park trail the city of Charlotte ever made.  And one of the best.  Just wish the missing sections near Publix could be built and wish some of our mega corporations could get along with this.  Kudos to US Bank stepping up with money for the bridge over 277. 

[kermit]

Interesting article in today's Atlanta Business Journal on how they see our rail trail as a model for Beltline development. The article is a bit of a causal mess, but they basically say: "the Charlotte Rail Trail is super successful because it has transit running beside it. We really need that on the Beltline to make the Beltline more usable."

Ahh, OK, I guess that is one way to look at the rail trail. Regardless the jumbled logic, it is always good to hear about Atlanta ogling our stuff.

Quote

"Charlotte is a great example [of what the BeltLine could be]," said Ryan Gravel, who laid out the idea for the BeltLine in his 1999 graduate thesis. "The BeltLine is way better in lots of ways. But if you want to experience what it's like to be on a trail and have a train go by, then just go there."

Like the Atlanta BeltLine's Eastside Trail, the Charlotte Rail-Trail is now dotted with restaurants, shops, apartments and public space.

...

"Running the rail and trail side-by-side combines the predictability of light rail — which developers like — with a recreational and destination amenity," Myers said. "That's it in a nutshell."

https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2022/10/21/charlotte-rail-trail-beltline-marta-transit.html

Edited October 22, 2022 by kermit

[kayman]

As someone who worked on many of the developments and right of way reservation agreements, Atlanta has a lot to learn about how to make things work when it comes to the Beltline there. I'm not surprised by the intent of the article. Charlotte is much more walkable in its core areas than Atlanta overall.

Edited October 23, 2022 by kayman

[dylansukkert]

Just lovely to have the rail trail closed again at Sycamore. And can’t even walk on the other side because it’s not connected. 

[Hushpuppy321]

On 11/1/2022 at 6:00 PM, dylansukkert said:

Just lovely to have the rail trail closed again at Sycamore. And can’t even walk on the other side because it’s not connected. 

Agreed - this does suck.  Hoping it’ll be fully ‘Boxed’ so we can get straight through until the Portman Residential Tower is completed.

[RANYC]

Someone directed me to an intense twitter campaign soliciting voters to support Charlotte's Rail Trail as best urban pathway in a contest pitting it against Milwaukee's River Greenway.  I hadn't heard of Milwaukee's River Greenway and decided to check it out.  For my money, Rail Trail doesn't hold a candle to what the River Greenway is.  For starters, the River Greenway is 8 miles, lush, along a recreationally active river.  I've walked Charlotte's Rail Trail.  It's a convenient and necessary sidewalk along train tracks.  But it's merely just that.  A sidewalk in a dense area.  I haven't seen a density of art work, sculptures, gardens, or even a tree canopy.  Are we so bereft of sidewalk infrastructure in Charlotte that 3.5 contiguous miles of one in a dense area is suddenly a marvel that we think deserves national acclaim?  For those of you who believe the Rail Trail is our city's treasure worthy of renown, what about it do you sell to your out of town guests?

[kermit]

^ It is an accidentally created asset (originally a fire access road) that the city has criminally neglected while simultaneously boasting about it. (lack of capacity upgrades and expansion being the most fundamental oversights)

Neglecting our best features is a recurring theme in Charlotte. 

[The tree canopy, historic buildings, rail transit, desegregated public schools, the ability to plan for growth, strong partnerships between public and private sectors, moderately cohesive intown neighborhoods and BBQ all come to mind as good things we mostly pissed away through neglect]

Edited December 19, 2022 by kermit

[JRCLT]

Someone directed me to an intense twitter campaign soliciting voters to support Charlotte's Rail Trail as best urban pathway in a contest pitting it against Milwaukee's River Greenway.  I hadn't heard of Milwaukee's River Greenway and decided to check it out.  For my money, Rail Trail doesn't hold a candle to what the River Greenway is.  For starters, the River Greenway is 8 miles, lush, along a recreationally active river.  I've walked Charlotte's Rail Trail.  It's a convenient and necessary sidewalk along train tracks.  But it's merely just that.  A sidewalk in a dense area.  I haven't seen a density of art work, sculptures, gardens, or even a tree canopy.  Are we so bereft of sidewalk infrastructure in Charlotte that 3.5 contiguous miles of one in a dense area is suddenly a marvel that we think deserves national acclaim?  For those of you who believe the Rail Trail is our city's treasure worthy of renown, what about it do you sell to your out of town guests?

I would have said LSC Greenway or the not yet completed but when completed XCLT trail would be more comparable. Although, a trail is just a trail. A fancy sidewalk no matter where you go. What’s special is what it supports, what it is adjacent. The rail trail is a commons. Almost like an elongated square. It does have art? Not littered with it if that is what you meant? Then no I guess not. The light up art displays event specifically in the winter is really cool. It isn’t just a sidewalk if you look closer. I’ve seen you become more and more pessimistic and bitter towards Charlotte or is it constructive criticism? It’s hard to tell because it’s borderline. Personally I looked up the Milwaukee River Greenway and didn’t find anything special about it. It’s a greenway? A park/trail by the river?

The two are fundamentally different. Urban vs Nature oriented. Rail trail is where people go on runs or visit just to walk down and have a nice stroll. Milwaukee has a whole river running through it. Would be recreating in the tracks? Perhaps kayaking
g and surfing the electromagnetic waves of the catenary lines. I bet that would electrifying for sure! The voting was something fun and friendly. I don’t think it was meant to be taken seriously as in one being objectively better than the other. Heavily opinionated and more than likely uninformed voting. Chances are if one lived in Charlotte the voted for the heck of it just win a fun competitive poll on Twitter.

Personally I would like to add: at first glance, I see nothing special, unique, or fascinating about either. A trail or greenway is just a trail or greenway…

[RANYC]

38 minutes ago, JeanClt said:

I’ve seen you become more and more pessimistic and bitter towards Charlotte or is it constructive criticism? It’s hard to tell because it’s borderline. 

It's because I've been reading too many of your posts.  I'm resolving to do less of that in the new year.

My post isn't an attack on the Rail Trail, as it's certainly a key pedestrian utility.  It's getting feedback on how folks position it as some sort of Charlotte attraction because it's that aspect of it that I'm not seeing. 

Edited December 19, 2022 by RANYC

[JRCLT]

It's because I've been reading too many of your posts.  I'm resolving to do less of that in the new year.

My post isn't an attack on the Rail Trail, as it's certainly a key pedestrian utility.  It's getting feedback on how folks position it as some sort of Charlotte attraction because it's that aspect of it that I'm not seeing. 

I just meant recently I noticed a shift in tone. Not necessarily this one particular post lol. More like an overall tone. I could post more thoughts but I tend to restrain myself. If you thought my posts were bad now, imagine if I didn’t filter them [emoji23]