“Walk Week” in Review
by Bill Dusty
Last week’s “Walk Week” event, which featured brochure handouts at Court Square and walking and biking tours of the Springfield section of the Connecticut River Walk and Bikeway [2005 pdf report], concluded this Sunday. The event was held to help bring awareness to the Bikeway and also to help dispel some misconceptions regarding the safety and appearance of the pathway – which many have criticized without ever having actually visited the site, themselves.
In recent years, much work has been done to both the River Walk and Riverfront Park itself to help provide a safer, more pleasurable experience for visitors. In the past few months of 2008 alone, beautification projects including landscaping, brush removal, and anti-litter campaigns have made the Park and Bikeway a much more inviting alternative to walking downtown streets.
And ideas continue to flow in about how to make the Park and Bikeway an event better experience. More sitting areas, for instance, along the Bikeway’s route, as well as trash receptacles to discourage casual littering along the trail. The elevator on the “skywalk” located next to LA Fitness is also in need of repair, and there having been numerous suggestions for improved signage all along the Bikeway as well as its approach routes.
“Walk Week” organizer Sheila McElwaine talks with volunteer tour guide Herb Singleton in Riverfront Park on Thursday.
Health New England, always looking to promote the positives of downtown Springfield, hosted their own promotional event on Thursday from 11:00am to 2:00pm to help introduce the Bikway to its associates. A reported 91 people signed up for an event raffle and participated in afternoon walks along the Bikeway.
Water, Bikeway brochures, and gifts were available to HNE associates participating the day’s promotional event.
The Springfield section of the Connecticut River Walk and Bikeway is conveniently located just off of Interstate 91. The Springfield section stretches from The South End of the city to just short of the city line with Chicopee. Free parking is available at the Basketball Hall of Fame, which is located just south of the main entrance to Riverfront Park. Walkers can enter either via the Riverfront Park main entrance or use the railroad “skywalk” located next to LA Fitness and the Onyx Fusion Cafe. The River Walk & Bikeway is open only during daylight hours.
Agawam has its own version of the Riverwalk, a 1.7 mile stretch running along River Road from Borgatti Park to School Street.
According to a brochure provided by the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, other River Walk sections currently in the design stages include: Agawam Riverwalk (1.7 miles); Agawam Bikelane Loop (3.3 miles); West Springfield Riverwalk (2 miles); Chicopee Riverwalk (2.1 miles); and the Holyoke Canalwalk (2 miles). There are also discussions swirling around the possibility/feasibility of connecting the Agawam and Springfield sections of the River Walk via the Buxton Bridge (South End). One complication with this plan is the presence of the railroad, which has also held up plans for an access/egress point at the southern end of Springfield’s Bikeway.
Check out the below stories on the River Walk as the Springfield Intruder followed a group of resident volunteers who conducted an informal survey of the River Walk earlier this year.
- An Informal Survey of the CT River and Bikeway – Part One
- An Informal Survey of the CT River and Bikeway – Part Two
- An Informal Survey of the CT River and Bikeway – Part Three
PDF
2 Responses for ““Walk Week” in Review”
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Good that you’re trying to bring attention to the bike path. you should know however, that your enthusiasm is NOT shared by all. I parked at the Visitor Center (nice people there by the way) and I got the bright idea to ask a woman walking her dog where the entrance was. She saw that I had my young (14) son with me and started screaming at me about how unfit i was as a parent for bringing my son on THAT DANGEROUS trail. She also threatened to call DSS on me. I then went into the Visitor Center and they said that there were no worries and gave me directions and even insisted that i park my car there. They didn’t know the woman’s name, but knew she works at Lauro Insurance on main st.
You may want to call there and set that $#*& straight. I had a great time and so did my son.
Thanks for the heads up, Tricia. I’ll definitely contact Lauro Insurance. Some people would rather spread slander than make their own observations. She also sounds like a bit of a nut.
Your experience also points up the need for more and better signage telling people how to get from the parking lot to the trail without having to ask for “help” from people like this.