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freetheriverpark
23 Posts |
 Posted - 02/17/2005 : 09:22:30
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| Post any concerns or questions you might have about the Park and we'll do our best to answer them as soon as we can. Thanks!! |
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schuylkill sunset
6 Posts |
Posted - 02/19/2005 : 20:04:36
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I know this isn't on the project list but I thought I'd throw this possible improvement out there nonetheless.
Don't take this the wrong way freethepark but whats the sense of having these great new benches when the prominent view will be looking straight ahead at that cruddy,filthy, brown-stained retaining wall that runs along the entire west bank of the Schuylkill River down to the water works. That wall has to be 60/70 years old and looks every bit of it, its not pleasant to look at, accumulating decades of mother natures wrath. If you truly want to spruce this area up could the wall at the least be painted? Or better yet add those artistic pre-fabricated concrete walls pictured below. Is there any possibility of cleaning up the wall from the waterworks down to South Street?
I think its wonderful whats going on down there and I'm not being ungrateful, just throwing my 2 cents in. To me leaving that dingy wall, and to a lesser extent the dirty concrete support bases to the bridges, untouched is cheating the overall positive impact that Schuylkill River Park will create.
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Edited by - schuylkill sunset on 02/20/2005 12:10:49 |
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freetheriverpark
23 Posts |
Posted - 02/19/2005 : 21:38:32
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| Thanks! That's a great suggestion. We'll bring it up to the Schuylkill River Dev. Corp, which has raised the money for, and is overseeing the construction of, the Park. Perhaps your idea is something we (Free Schuylkill River Park) can consider looking into. BTW, where is is that picture from? |
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schuylkill sunset
6 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2005 : 01:43:24
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That picture came from a federal highway site discussing the assets of artistic highway sound barriers. I lived out in the southwest for years and alot of the growing sunbelt cities have these type of artistic walls everywhere, highways, bridges, retaining walls on canals and rivers etc.. They are usually in neutral tones with designs related to their culture. They are truly beautiful and add so much more than just your bland concrete canal, wall or highway.
The retaining wall on the Schuylkill appears structurally sound, it just needs a fresh resurfacing. I'm sure there are many landscape engineers in the city that could come up with an economical design to improve whats there. The prefabricated sound design barriers are amazing but I'm sure they are ultra expensive. Here's the website I got the information from. This sound barrier is on 202 near Malven , I've seen it many times. By the way the sound barrier wall might really work well along the fence seperating the trail and those ugly, noisy CSX tracks 
http://www.tfhrc.gov/pubrds/03may/03.htm
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Edited by - schuylkill sunset on 02/21/2005 12:05:32 |
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pino40
2 Posts |
Posted - 02/28/2005 : 09:41:06
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----- Original Message -----
From: Alpha D Nelson
To: pino40@fidnet.com
Sent: Saturday, February 26, 2005 10:23 PM
Subject: SET UP!
Bob
The topic is irrefutable: Present by shotgun anyone and everyone. Feel free to use my name and details. Let's see who tries to keep you quite. Actually everybody should do the same. I'll take full responsibility for the legitimacy.
CSX under Snow overcharged the government in 1990's and paid back $5.9 million.
It was Snows responsibility to ensure this stopped, as the CEO.
He didn't stop the overcharges and was sued in 2001 by the same whistleblower for the exact same overcharges.
Snow was under a federal investigation by the US DOT, OIG and the Department of Justice during his nomination and confirmation to the Secretary of Treasury.
Dave |
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schuylkillriverdevcorp01
2 Posts |
Posted - 03/10/2005 : 15:45:11
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This is a great idea but would be expensive due to difficult access adn extensive length. If funding were to become available, we would certainly support this initiative.
-SRDC |
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Mitch
4 Posts |
Posted - 05/01/2005 : 10:36:55
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First off THANKS for the great website and whats going on down there at Schuylkill River Park is just great. What a treat.
Now in true Philadlephia style I also have to pile on.
I also agree that the retaining walls that run along the Schuylkill expressway really do need some attention. The filth on those walls really is displeasurable. Philadelphians like to call this type of grime: grit and character. I say phooey on that, people want a clean visually pleasing, environmentally sound city to live in.
Addressing the disgusting walls makes all the difference in the world to Schuylkill River Parks final legacy. It transforms SRP from being a nice place to exercise, to being a world class section of the city that people will gravitate to. Didn't Grandpa always say "If you are going to do something, you may as well do it right." Grandpa would like to see the finishing touch be put on those filthy walls.
There's currently $4 billion dollars being invested in CenterCity and University City. Somehow, someway we need to come up with the modest $$$ to get the walls redone that connects these two great parts of the city.
It also wouldn't hurt to try and cultivate and landscape those wild weed trees that have taken root along and above those walls. The Walnut St. parking garage/storage building could use a makeover as well. Thats a disgrace that the city sits back idly and allows buildings like this to deteriorate without repercussion to the owners.
Thanks for hearing me out and thanks for Schuylkill River Park.
potential of being one of the finest landscaped scenes of any city in the world. Current condition well it's a neglected disaster. It's a city problem, not neccesarily SRDC's problem but we all know the city will never ever address this eyesore. Yuck! not a first class scene right here. It wouldn't take much to make it world class, but I have a feeling 20 years from now it will still have the familiar Philadlephia look and thats unfortunate.
Could use some fresh paint on the Walnu Street Garage. How does Philadlephia L+I allow buildings to stay in this condition for decades? Why do they allow Philadlephia to continue to be a 2nd class city?
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Edited by - Mitch on 06/12/2005 11:52:13 |
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perry
USA
1 Posts |
Posted - 06/07/2005 : 16:25:25
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2135 Naudain Street
Philadelphia, Pa. 19146
June 6, 2005
Mark Focht, ASLA
Fairmount Park Commission
Philadelpha
Dear Mark:
I read the Q&A section of Free The River Park's “Reaching the Hidden River” posting regarding the current construction in Schuykill River Park. I too was dismayed over the placement of the park benches in such close proximity to the path. Locating benches near or on the paths in Rittenhouse Square is not so objectionable, as activity there is much more passive; bicycle riding is prohibited within the Square. The new path under construction in Schuylkill River Park was paid for in part by an ISTEA grant, federal money to encourage the use of alternate forms of commuting, in this case bicycles. Also this path was designed to be part of both The Schuylkill River Valley Trail and The East Coast Greenway bicycle trails. Placing objects or trees or benches where people will sit so close to the path compromises the safety of the path and in effect reduces the effective width of the path. Cyclists and roller bladders and even joggers will swerve to avoid a close encounter with legs very close to or overhanging the path. In 1999, The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials published the 'Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities.' In it, among other guidelines for safety, are 3 feet minimum to 6 feet maximum dimensions from the edge of the bike path to obstructions. Someone sitting on park benchs as being installed in Schuylkill River Park will have his feet (less than the 3’ guideline for safety) on the edge of the path. As surveys have shown as many as 100-150 people an hour will use the park on a nice weekend day. I am surprised that the designers think that sitting on one of these park benches so close to the path will be a pleasant experience with very active path users passing by at quick speeds so close by. More recently sprinkler heads are being installed within just a few inches of the path...more trippers for joggers and others to contend with.
The issue of obstacles such as park benches and plantings so close to the path was brought up a year or so ago at a presentation of the park design at the Marketplace Design Center. It was assumed that the safety concerns were taken into account. Now that the park is under construction it appears that Marketplace (community) concerns, guidelines published by the AASH&TO, and good design practice have all been ignored. People are forced off the river drives paths all the time for one reason or another. Placing obstacles so close to the path certainly could cause injury if a path user is forced off the path, or if a person sitting on one of these benches stands up without looking. Mark, certainly you must see the danger here. Is The Fairmount Park Commission, SRDC, and/or Margie Ruddick willing to take on the liability here for not using the best judgment in the placing of these benches and other items so close to this very active path? Municipal bikeways in Tucson, Arizona and Montgomery County, Pa. have been built with obstacle free shoulders as implied by the AASH&TO. Why is this bikeway exempt from these safety guidelines?
Sincerely Yours,
Perry Benson
perry benson |
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Mitch
4 Posts |
Posted - 06/08/2005 : 11:11:52
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No offense to the last poster but I thought he/she was completely out of line.SRDC is in the process of providing a great resource for all Philadelphians to enjoy. This trail was not built exclusively for bicyclists. Others are entitled to benefit Schuylkill River Park as well. Stop being so selfish. Grandparents taking their grandkids for a stroll, perhaps office workers taking a lunch time walk, or perhaps the nature lover enjoying the scenery . They need the benches, they want the benches, they want the trees.
It's tragic after SRDC has given Philadlephia this great treasure that there are already individuals threating lawsuits because they want to ride thier bicycles recklessly. If you can't control your bicycle maybe you should consider staying off the new narrower trail. If another bicycle causes you to crash into a bench -sue- that bicyclists, not Fairmount Park or SRDC.
Ultimately the responsibility lies with the people riding the bicycles. Individuals are negligent, SRDC is simply providing an outlet for citizens of the city, if you end up hitting a bench or tree you've done something terribly wrong. Use your head, slow down and take it easy in the areas of heavy pedestrian traffic.
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Mitch
4 Posts |
Posted - 08/27/2005 : 11:27:39
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| Freetheriverpark, what's going on with the landscaping phase? It was looking so promising with the new trees and shrubs being planted. However in the past 2 months I haven't seen much progress and many of the shrubs and trees are dying due to neglect and lack of water. |
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Questions? Something on your mind?
