6 Responses

  1. Emily says:

    In terms of the Harlem Valley Rail Trail, there are two main pieces. First part runs from Wassaic to Millerton. After an 8-ish mile gap, the trail picks up near Boston Corners and runs to Copake Falls. The total length, two parts combined, has to be around 14 miles – so not even close to the full length of what the Upper Harlem was. Their goal always was Chatham, but that isn’t going to be reality anytime soon.

    You’re perfectly welcome to link whatever on here to “the railroad site.” I suppose it would be an interesting conversation – though I’m fairly certain Jaap has gone on record quite vocally against having trails right next to the existing rails due to the safety issues you mentioned. I suppose this is somewhat relevant, as the HVRT was looking to extend southward – to whatever the “village” area of Wassaic is. I’m not sure if they ever got the “go ahead” to do this, but I remember there was talk about it.

  2. Nick Benson says:

    The map of bridges crossing the Mississippi in Minneapolis is brilliant, although “Dartmouth” should actually be “I-94.” It’s also worth noting that the “High Line” bridge is still in service – it’s how the Minnesota Commercial reaches all of the grain elevators along the Hiawatha Line, and, coincidentally, how Metro Transit receives delivery of their LRVs.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/ottergoose/4227613656/

    For the heck of it, it’s also worth showing off this shot of Northstar crossing the Mississippi:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/ottergoose/4651612018/

    I look forward to more coverage of the Twin Cities – love your perspective.

    • Emily says:

      Thanks! I’ll have to fix that map.

      By the way, that shot of the Northstar crossing the Mississippi is pretty brilliant. That takes dedication :)

  3. Nick Benson says:

    And, while I’m offering suggestions about the Minneapolis / Mississippi map, it’s worth noting that the Canadian Pacific bridge, which is just beyond the northern extent of the map, is notable as it serves as the northern end of navigable waters on the Mississippi, at least when there aren’t severe draughts screwing things up down south:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/ottergoose/7559777822/

  4. Duncan Moffitt says:

    Good morning, Emily. I’m an eastern ex-pat (and former frequent rider of the New Haven Railroad, the Hudson Tubes and the Lackawanna electrics, among others). I have lived for decades in the MSP area and I am fascinated to see a fresh-eyed view point regarding things I live with every day. I think that the conversion of the Stone Arch Bridge into a bicycle and pedestrian bridge was one of the best things to happen to Minneapolis in recent decades. It greatly improved bicycle commuting to/from the neighborhoods across the river from downtown, which include a significant part of the University of Minnesota. Along with the downtown condo boom, the bridge has also become a draw for people who walk, both locals and out of towners, and it’s one of many factors that has encouraged the condo boom on previously derelict riverfront properties.

    The railroad mergers of the past thirty or forty years resulted in abandonment of miles and miles of ROW, concurrent to the bicycle boom; the result is an incredible off-street bicycle trail system. The Hiawatha line was too slow in coming, but it, too, is one of the best tings to happen to our city. Since it came in an age of bicycling, the cars are fitted with inside bike racks… I wish the streetcars had stayed; a Boston-like program of shifting them from streets to old RR ROWs would have been an excellent asset. Instead our old PCC streetcars kept the Newark City Subway alive and well for almost fifty years… We now have a contentious, ongoing issue in LRT planning: a new line is to pass through a narrow stretch now occupied by a freight track + a bicycle trail. (Google Kenilworth Trail; SW LRT.) there are no easy answers. And the lovely arches at the Metrodome station are at least theoretically at risk of destruction for the new football stadium. I have seen architects’ drawings showing them gone, and drawings showing them still there. The Metrodome is presently being torn down. The adjacent LRT routes will stay put no matter what else happens.

    Your excellent and thoughtful map of the bridges has a couple of small errors: Dartmouth near Franklin is indeed I-94; although 40+ years ago it was briefly called the Dartmouth Place bridge before 94 was connected to both ends. Dartmouth Avenue, north of BNSF, is actually Plymouth Avenue. And in the second postcard view, the arched bridge is actually 3rd Avenue. You’re looking upstream. The 10th Avenue bridge, the doomed 35W bridge, the #9 bridge and all are downstream behind the photographer. That said, thank you for your wonderful blog. I look forward to reading more.

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