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J. Tillman at the Mohawk - Giveaway
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According to Sarah Coppola at the Statesman, lakefront condo residents came out in force last night to protest the city's plan to extend the Lady Bird Lake hike and bike trail across their portion of the lake. The gap currently reaches from the Statesman's lot to Lakeshore Park. The city has reached agreements with most of the landowners along the stretch to build the trail on land, but will need to build the trail over water on portions where geography or unaccommodating landowners make building on land impossible.
Closing this gap would complete the east-side loop and probably make that portion of the trail much more popular with joggers and bikers. As it currently stands, venturing east requires a detour through the Statesman's parking lot and a death defying trek along Riverside Drive and across I-35. The proposed plan includes a variety of alternatives, but generally includes a mix of on-land trail and a concrete path on pylons 25-30 feet from shore.
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If they don't want the trail, then let's reroute riverside on a bridge in front of their lake view, and plan to repurpose riverside as a hike and bike trail.
Seems fair.
I'm definitely for the completion of the loop and think the land owners are being jerks. But I also think it's a disingenuous argument to say that it *requires* a "death defying trek along Riverside Drive and across I-35" to get to/from the east side. There is pedestrian bridge at I-35 and at 1st street. If you think jogging down Riverside is a death defying trek (which I believe it very well could be) use the bridges and go on the beautifully developed trail on the north side until the trail loop is complete. Most people are there for exercise anyway so the extra .25 to .5 mile couldn't hurt.