City barricades still warned people not to trip on this expansion joint on May 13, 2026.
About a year and a half ago, in November 2024, the city put up warning barricades at a spot on the Dave Clark Riverfront Path where adjoining plates had separated and opened a gap. The barricades are still there, and so is the gap.
In December 2024, City Manager Peter Troedsson reported to the council on widespread vandalism in Albany parks. He mentioned the path as an example.
“The cover for an expansion joint near the Wheelhouse was stolen,” he wrote at the time. “The replacement part costs over $1,000 and is on order.”
Tommy Reeder took the job of supervising park maintenance this January. Last week I asked him about that spot on the path.
“It is a unique situation with the expansion joint between the two panels and settling that has occurred,” he told me by email. He said he would look into the best way of getting it fixed.
That section of the path was built in 2010 to go around the new Wheelhouse Building on the old Buzz Saw restaurant site. Before then, the path was routed around he property on the inland side.
When Albany applied for grants in 1999 to help get the path built, the city said it would be a major transportation link for recreation along the riverfront.
The city council dedicated the path on March 1, 2004. It has been a wonderful community asset ever since, but it needs work to keep it from falling into disrepair.
The shifting concrete plates near the Wheelhouse are not the only trouble spot. In several places the concrete path has cracked and shifted. And vegetation threatens to turn the trail into a dark tunnel near its eastern end, before the path ends on Front Street.
That is where there’s a curve in the trail and a blind spot, which invites collisions with speeding electric scooters or bikes. A painted center stripe in that spot would not come amiss.(hh)
Here’s a low-level view of the gap in the expansion joint. Part of the metal cover is missing.
Sidewalks, in general, need repair. Tree roots are a major cause of differences in elevations between adjoining slabs and expensive to repair. Walkers have to pay close attention to their footing, especially at night, or they will trip and fall, ADA addresses those issues.
Not an expert, but it seems the settling is more an issue then the stolen cap to cover the gap which is on backorder. Good temp project, paint it yellow with red stripes. Then get a geologist to check out the foundations.
Or spend a gazillion dollars to hire a consultant
In the Eastern end dip, just past the Community Gardens, there is a thi.b sized branch cut to a blunt end and hidden in leaves that is going to do serious damage to someone’s face. We always ring our bike bells coming around those corners. There’s another dangerous corner over on the path behind Periwinkle School. My son collided with an adult coming around that corner to the detriment of both!
I like how the warning barricades are chained together….even the chain is rusty looking. The repair will get done…..never…
So you prefer the city waste money on new chain or send a crew to polish the old one?
If they weren’t chained together, they’d be tossed over the side. That’s the way it works on our Multi Use Paths, since there’s little enforcement against people that don’t have a pot to piss in.
The city has no money to keep up the Dave Clark Path or fix potholes or do much of anything. They spent it all on CARA and also did not get as much tax money as they were due for 25 years because of the money that went to CARA.