Downtown Carrboro Ped/Bike Connections

For years now I've used the informal trails linking my neighborhood around Lloyd Street/Broad Street near downtown Carrboro, Northside, Bolin Creek, and the rest of Carrboro to navigate as a pedestrian and a biker. Every time I cross the ditch on an old railroad tie and then straddle the railroad tracks to get to Harris Teeter or the Pleasant Street neighborhood, I marvel at the fact that the geographic center of Carrboro/Chapel Hill is still so isolated from the surrounding neighborhoods. At night as I see folks wandering through the informal dirt paths that connect Pleasant Street to Lloyd Street, I worry about the safety of the dark trail and wish that there was a way to put some resources into making these vital links for those of us who can't or choose not to drive much more user friendly and safe.

I'm told that the biggest obstacle is the train tracks and inflexibility on the part of the owner of the tracks to allow for any kind of sanctioned crossing. But I'm getting a bit tired of the arguments for inaction and wish we could get some clear guidance on what we as citizens can do to push the connectivity of downtown neighborhoods forward fast. Apart from the train track crossings, there are lots of opportunities to connect downtown with key areas around Bolin Creek without even crossing the tracks (though there might need to be some easement purchases and path building.

I've created a map using a new tool on the web that allows folks to pull up parks data and other conservation minded layers online (full disclosure: I helped create this website in my work with the nonprofit NatureServe). The map includes my best approximations of historic neighborhood trails that are heavily used by residents (in yellow) and also at least one potential path (in blue) that could serve as a great link between downtown and Bolin Creek, bypassing Estes Drive and the apartment complex. I also have this map as a jpg, but am not yet savvy enough to get that posted on this blog. With Ruby's help I might post that later. [I added a screenshot. -Ed.]

I'd be interested in hearing what others think about the level of need for connecting these neighborhoods together through more official footpaths and crossings. Is anyone working on this currently? I hear about grad students in the planning department that crank out studies advocating better paths around the neighborhood, but it doesn't seem like anyone really pays much attention to their good ideas. And couldn't a nice trail from downtown to Bolin Creek be a great excuse for folks to spend time and money in downtown Carrboro and consider our town a day trip destination that includes both urban sophistication and more wild but easily accessible and family friendly trails?