Looking toward Bowman Park from the riverside trail: No more blockage,
Last week, a construction fence had closed public access to the riverside trail heading east from Bowman Park. But today, I’m happy to report that the fence has been moved and public access restored.
This is a nice trail, not long, an easy walk between Eads and Bowman parks. It follows the top of the bank of the Willamette River, adjacent to what now is the 6.2-acre site where 120 apartments (“The Banks”) are going to be built.
The contractor preparing the site has installed erosion barriers all along the trail. But pains have been taken not to interfere with the route of the trail itself.
Last week, when I noticed the Bowman Park end closed by that fence, I asked the Albany Parks Department about it. And Rick Barnett of the city checked with the contractor.
The idea of the fence is safety, of course. There’s heavy equipment operating on the site, and it would not be good for people to get in the way. But evidently someone realized that people walking along the top of the bank to enjoy views of the river did not constitute a hazard.
Eventually, according to the approved plans for the apartments, there will be an improved, 10-foot-wide shared-use path along the bank. For now people can continue to use the unimproved trail, as I did on the bike Wednesday afternoon. If you want to see how that went, take a look at the video below:
So how many accidents will there have to be at the corner of Salem Ave. and Geary after the 120 new apartments are occupied, before they but a traffic light in?