Tallahassee and Leon County have had some shocking pedestrian and bicycle deaths, but there have also been significant investments in safe places to walk and ride. Some of those routes are not well known. So, 20 cyclists recently explored a nine-mile loop of bike trails and neighborhood streets.
Cyclists at Cascades Park.
The Capital City Cyclists ride started and ended in Cascades Park. The group took the bridge over South Monroe to avoid crossing the busy road. We regrouped at South Adams and then used the shared use trail to roll past the parks and ponds along FAMU Way.
Blueprint IA spent voter approved sales tax money creating a beautiful and popular greenway. There were ducks and wading birds in the lakes and people enjoying the picnic areas. We used the Levy Street roundabout to access the St. Marks Trail extension. The canopy made for a delightful ride along this City of Tallahassee managed path.
The most difficult part of the ride was the intersections we call the “double cross,” which required waiting for light changes to cross Gaile, then Crawfordville and Woodville highways. The last thing drivers on the busy roads expected was bicycles trying to get through the intersections. Everyone agreed this is the least favorite part of the ride.
Marker for The Dr. Alpha Omega Campbell Heritage Trail.
However, east of the highways is a hidden gem. The Dr. Alpha Omega Campbell Heritage Trail follows a shade-covered route north from Gaile past Tram Road to Jack McLean Park. A roadside sign describes one of Tallahassee’s most admired physicians.
Our ride continued north through wooded Jack L. McLean Jr. Park and onto the roads of the pleasant Apalachee Ridge neighborhood. From there the group faced the second most challenging intersection of the ride, a short roll along east Orange Avenue’s bike lane through the roundabout at Jim Lee Road. Thanks to courteous drivers, all the cyclists navigated the circle and headed north on a wide bike lane.
We then worked our way up the loop’s only long hill and were rewarded at Magnolia Drive with the newly installed shared use path. This Blueprint funded facility transformed Magnolia from an unfriendly road to a safe and attractively landscaped route. More important, the path closes a gap and when completed will allow people to safely walk or ride from south Tallahassee to Apalachee Parkway.
Leaving the Magnolia trail, the group headed west on Circle Drive through the friendly neighborhoods near Myers Park. We celebrated our safe return with a group photo at the TLH sign near the pedestrian bridge.
Community Ride Loop map.
The ride demonstrated that a group of cyclists of different ages and skills can follow a safe route through the city mostly on paths separated from traffic. Our hope is that having mapped this route, other people will discover and enjoy the loop from Cascades Park.
Our state and local transportation agencies are reducing pedestrian and bicycle deaths and injuries by investing in safe infrastructure. Riding and walking these routes is a way to celebrate infrastructure built for safety and the ongoing effort to allow people to enjoy getting from one place to another.
Eric Draper
Eric Draper is a volunteer with Capital City Cyclists www.cccyclists.org.
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Celebrating Tallahassee’s safe cycling infrastructure | Opinion