This will be a nice addition to the downtown area, and make enjoying the Six Mile gorge easier (from the Ithaca Times):
Walkway connects downtown Ithaca with nature
Rob Montana
Managing Editor
For a short stretch behind the Cayuga Green building, a pathway has been constructed that - when fully completed - will bridge the worlds between downtown's Commons and the natural areas that populate the City of Ithaca.
The Six Mile Creek Walk is planned to travel from downtown through the Six Mile Creek natural area, formalizing the informal network of paths that do so. While a loose connection of trails currently exists, some are on private property, the creation of this pathway from planned start to finish will make it a safer experience.
"The big vision of this is to connect the Commons to the creek," said Tim Logue, city transportation engineer for the City of Ithaca.
"It's an amenity that enhances living downtown," added Phyllisa DeSarno, the City of Ithaca's deputy director for economic development, "With the improved Home Dairy alley, it adds to the whole atmosphere downtown. You go from a very urban setting, to an outdoors setting."
Origin of the Creek Walk
The Six Mile Creek Walk got its start when developer Mack Travis put together his Cayuga Green project. The Planning Board signed off on the plans, working with Travis to construct the pathway behind the building in the process.
"When he rehabbed the building, he agreed to do the first part of the Creek Walk," Logue said, "and he granted the city an easement for it."
Coming this summer, another approximately 350 feet of the trail will be extended from where Travis's portion stopped. The funding for that portion - $100,000 - will come from a Recreational Trails program grant, attained by the city after the Planning Department wrote a proposal seeking funds.
"It's estimated that amount will building another 350 feet of trail," said Logue.
While it seems like a short distance for such a large sum of money, the transportation engineer noted that the area to be worked on will need more extensive work than just laying some cinders, putting up a handrail and installing some lights.
"The character is different," Logue said. "We will have to build the rail, put on the wall cap and add more stone dust.
"But, the wall dipes and we will need more concrete to ensure its safety," he added, noting that people already walk the proposed route but they do "at your own risk."
He said the Creek Walk is expected to be similar to the Cascadilla Gorge Trail - the currently closed trail that links downtown with Cornell University - just on the other side of the city.
"It's not just great recreation, but a functional path," Logue said. "People that live on South Hill or Giles Street area will have an easier way to get downtown - when it's all done.
"Essentially, right now, we will just have the small piece we're doing this summer," he added.
The existing Six Mile Creek Gorge Trail, which the Creek Walk is anticipating linking up with, is an old Native American trail that offers remnants of an old building and the Elizabeth Mulholland Wildflower Preserve. The three-mile trail offers a variety of wooded area, with lots of foliage to view and access to the creek in plenty of spots.
According to the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County, the Gorge Trail offers "some of Ithaca's best hiking opportunities, ranging from short walks to full-day hikes." It notes the best way to link into it from downtown - and where the Creek Walk expects to connect as well - is from the Columbia/Giles street end of the pedestrian bridge.
"The trail here follows creekside ledge in places, and can be submerged if water levels are very high," states the Web site. "Approaching Giles Street, the trail forks, with a dead end branch heading to the base of the falls below Giles Street, and the other branch climbing to meet the road."
The Binghamton-area contracting firm Procon Contracting, which built the first part of the pathway, is working on the project now, Logue said.
"We're under construction down there," he said. "They've already done some grading and started pouring the cap on top of the wall. They are also fabricating the railing.
"They'll probably need another week to finish the wall work, another week to finish the stone dust path. The railing fabrication, I'm not sure how much longer that will be," Logue added. "I would think they will be done not too far before the end of June."
What's next?
While the next 350-or-so feet of the trail is set to become permanent this summer, the city is still looking for the money to pay for the approximately $1 million worth of work that is expected to be needed to complete the full vision for the Creek Walk.
"The city will continue to look for grants," Logue said.
"We've done well with grants, we're hopeful we will continue to be successful," added DeSarno.
Private funding hasn't played a role in the money search for the city, primarily because it is uncommon for private funds to factor into a public project.
"We've looked mostly at public funds, funding from state and federal sources," Logue said. "It might qualify for Local Waterfront Revitalization grants, because it is along the creek.
"Tourism grants don't really seem to be something that would apply," he added.
While the city is seeking grant funds to complete a full Creek Walk, Logue and DeSarno both acknowledged there are plenty of projects for which Ithaca needs funding.
"We have a bunch of trail projects on the list," Logue said. "We have a lot of things we want to do."
"There are a lot of projects going on," DeSarno added.
There hasn't been much movement on the grant seeking front, but Logue noted the Planning Department had been successful in obtaining the one for the current work, passing it on to the public works department to do the work.
And Logue said the next phase of work won't likely be inexpensive.
"The next pieces is really to pick up from where we left off and get to the woods," he said. "We'll be thinking about the trail that goes up through the woods and into the gorge.
"There are a couple of crossings that will have to be done there, over the creek, and the bridges won't be cheap," Logue added. "Maybe the Planning Department is looking for a larger grant to cover that."
Tim Logue, City of Ithaca transportation engineer, left, and Phyllisa DeSarno, deputy director of economic development, stand on a completed portion of the Six Mile Creek Walk trail behind the Cayuga Green development. (Photo by Rachel Philipson)
A view of the Six Mile Creek Walk's first section, located behind the Cayuga Green project, fully developed. (Photo by Rachel Philipson)
Edit - I just realized the people in the first pic are standing behind Mack Travis' Gateway Center complex. The second picture is behind the Cayuga Green project (with a different developer). Both are on Six Mile Creek though.
Here's the link to the article:
http://www.ithacatimes.com/main.asp?...rticleID=11831