floater
07-21-2005, 10:29 PM
Some friends and I biked the Oklahoma River's north trail last Sunday. We all hadn't ridden in awhile, and it was the first time on the river trail, so we took it easy. But we had a good time, and I hope it's the beginning of a rewarding pastime.
We began at Regatta Park and biked to the trail's end point at Meridian. From end to end the trail is six miles long, although the entry from Regatta Park is about 3/4 mile ahead of the east end. It's a smooth asphalt trail with a multitude of tributary bridges. It's mostly flat with a few broad hills and a couple of steep declines underneath bridges.
As we all know, the river park is in its infancy, so it is light on amenities. There are bridge signs and distances painted on the ground for those heading east, but not for those going the opposite direction. The western end is formed by a turnabout at the foot of an embankment. There is a trail loop a couple of miles from that end, that provides users with a chance to circle around. Yet nothing but young trees fill the loop.
Later on, I hope to see lighting, benches, wastebaskets, water fountains, and signs for westward trail users. Hopefully, bridge sidewalks will be improved to allow better trail access to the other side. According to the city's website, those will be put in place when funds become available. Equipment rentals I believe are in the works as well.
Eventually, I hope some individuals/groups work with the city to bring public art and diversions to the trail. While brush and cut grass make for a pleasant ride, it doesn't give trail users landmarks to spot. Only the bridge signs, the view of downtown's skyline, and proximity to the Dell facility tell you where you are in the trail.
I had some ideas of what could line the trails. Some kind of game using public art would be a nice colorful diversion for both trail users and water taxi riders. Large visual objects (think of the kind of stuff you find in a City Bites shop) could give clues to some kind of puzzle that makes sense after seeing all the objects.
Another idea would be to show deference to the Native American Cultural Center and have story markers dot the trails. Biographies, trivia, tribe settlement depictions, etc would remind trail users of the original settlers of Oklahoma.
Or, we could blend the functional with the whimsical and have those basics (signs, wastebaskets, benches, fountains, etc) be made out of art. Someone once said that that the best public art is that which you don't recognize as being such. She meant that commonplace things don't have to be if they are creatively designed. It also means that displays showing facts like the type of fish stocked, current river depth and wind direction can contribute to a sense of ecosystem.
Anyway, the best visual during the rides was the bikers, walkers and a few fishermen. It's good to see that people know about this riverpark -- and are using it contently despite is bare beginnings.
We began at Regatta Park and biked to the trail's end point at Meridian. From end to end the trail is six miles long, although the entry from Regatta Park is about 3/4 mile ahead of the east end. It's a smooth asphalt trail with a multitude of tributary bridges. It's mostly flat with a few broad hills and a couple of steep declines underneath bridges.
As we all know, the river park is in its infancy, so it is light on amenities. There are bridge signs and distances painted on the ground for those heading east, but not for those going the opposite direction. The western end is formed by a turnabout at the foot of an embankment. There is a trail loop a couple of miles from that end, that provides users with a chance to circle around. Yet nothing but young trees fill the loop.
Later on, I hope to see lighting, benches, wastebaskets, water fountains, and signs for westward trail users. Hopefully, bridge sidewalks will be improved to allow better trail access to the other side. According to the city's website, those will be put in place when funds become available. Equipment rentals I believe are in the works as well.
Eventually, I hope some individuals/groups work with the city to bring public art and diversions to the trail. While brush and cut grass make for a pleasant ride, it doesn't give trail users landmarks to spot. Only the bridge signs, the view of downtown's skyline, and proximity to the Dell facility tell you where you are in the trail.
I had some ideas of what could line the trails. Some kind of game using public art would be a nice colorful diversion for both trail users and water taxi riders. Large visual objects (think of the kind of stuff you find in a City Bites shop) could give clues to some kind of puzzle that makes sense after seeing all the objects.
Another idea would be to show deference to the Native American Cultural Center and have story markers dot the trails. Biographies, trivia, tribe settlement depictions, etc would remind trail users of the original settlers of Oklahoma.
Or, we could blend the functional with the whimsical and have those basics (signs, wastebaskets, benches, fountains, etc) be made out of art. Someone once said that that the best public art is that which you don't recognize as being such. She meant that commonplace things don't have to be if they are creatively designed. It also means that displays showing facts like the type of fish stocked, current river depth and wind direction can contribute to a sense of ecosystem.
Anyway, the best visual during the rides was the bikers, walkers and a few fishermen. It's good to see that people know about this riverpark -- and are using it contently despite is bare beginnings.