Update on the virtual meeting held regarding the Ludlum Trail. Opportunities for input remain.

I attended the virtual meeting held Thursday evening, November 19, 2020. As I have stated, the virtual meetings are a boon, not a hindrance to public participation. Dragging people down to one physician location is so 2019.  Virtual meetings are a tool that I wish I had available prior to 2018.  Look to the numbers posted below. 421 people attended and participated - and everyone had a great view and could control the volume from where there were sitting.

Miami-Dade County is doing a great job promoting public participation through the virtual meetings.

Here is a short update:

 624 people registered for this virtual meeting
 421 actually attended (a number that would overwhelm most physician meeting locations)
 242 participated via smart phone poll
 209 individual questions proffered and the numbers continue to grow 
85% Responded that the plan is generally on the right track
13% Responded "Maybe" to the question as to 'is the plan generally on the right track?'

You can still participate! CLICK HERE for access to the tools pictured below:

General information about the Ludlum Trail (from County website):

The purpose of the Ludlam Trail is to provide a new shared-use trail in Miami-Dade County that will include safe, dedicated, direct pathways for walking, running, and cycling; to encourage active lifestyles and the use of green, non-motorized modes of transportation; and to enhance overall connectivity and accessibility between schools, parks, transit stops and residences, workplaces and shopping.

The proposed project supports the vision to provide an interconnected trail system offering transportation alternatives and reducing traffic congestion for a livable, sustainable County. Ludlam Trail will be a vital component of a seamless network of future greenway trails and water trails connecting to the Metrorail Dadeland North Station to the south and to other planned trails including The Underline/East Coast Greenway, South Dade Trail, Snapper Creek Trail, East/West Trail and Merrick Trail. It will enhance mobility and strengthen connections to neighboring communities, providing increased opportunities for economic development. 

Ludlum Trail Posters - support the effort - a green initiative Poster #1 of 4 - Please share.

 

New posters celebrating Ludlam Trail from DK&P digital artist Theresa Lee Dover, #1 of 4! Please share

The LUDLAM TRAIL will be a 5.6-mile, iconic greenway with paths for biking, walking, and running, connecting the heart of Miami-Dade. The trail will link schools, parks, transit, homes, workplaces and spots to shop & dine.

Last-minute reminder - There is much to see and discuss. Attend Ludlam Trail public information meeting Thursday, Nov 19th 6pm (via Zoom). "Virtual tools include a new project website with the ability to zoom in on a smartphone or home computer on a trail map to see details..." CLICK HERE to view the official information and register for this meeting.

Ludlum Trail Posters - support the effort - a green initiative Post #4 of 4 - Please share.

 

New posters celebrating Ludlam Trail from DK&P digital artist Theresa Lee Dover, #4 of 4! Please share

The LUDLAM TRAIL will be a 5.6-mile, iconic greenway with paths for biking, walking, and running, connecting the heart of Miami-Dade. The trail will link schools, parks, transit, homes, workplaces and spots to shop & dine.

Last-minute reminder - There is much to see and discuss. Attend Ludlam Trail public information meeting Thursday, Nov 19th 6pm (via Zoom). "Virtual tools include a new project website with the ability to zoom in on a smartphone or home computer on a trail map to see details..." CLICK HERE to view the official information and register for this meeting.

Ludlum Trail Posters - support the effort - a green initiative Poster #3 of 4 - Please share.

New posters celebrating Ludlam Trail from DK&P digital artist Theresa Lee Dover, #3 of 4! Please share

The LUDLAM TRAIL will be a 5.6-mile, iconic greenway with paths for biking, walking, and running, connecting the heart of Miami-Dade. The trail will link schools, parks, transit, homes, workplaces and spots to shop & dine.

Last-minute reminder - There is much to see and discuss. Attend Ludlam Trail public information meeting Thursday, Nov 19th 6pm (via Zoom). "Virtual tools include a new project website with the ability to zoom in on a smartphone or home computer on a trail map to see details..." CLICK HERE to view the official information and register for this meeting.

Ludlum Trail Posters - support the effort - a green initiative Poster #2 of 4 - Please share.

 

New posters celebrating Ludlam Trail from DK&P digital artist Theresa Lee Dover, #2 of 4! Please share

The LUDLAM TRAIL will be a 5.6-mile, iconic greenway with paths for biking, walking, and running, connecting the heart of Miami-Dade. The trail will link schools, parks, transit, homes, workplaces and spots to shop & dine.

Last-minute reminder - There is much to see and discuss. Attend Ludlam Trail public information meeting Thursday, Nov 19th 6pm (via Zoom). "Virtual tools include a new project website with the ability to zoom in on a smartphone or home computer on a trail map to see details..." CLICK HERE to view the official information and register for this meeting.

Reminder: Tune in and Participate regarding the Ludlam Trail. Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Project meeting/update via Zoom, Nov. 19, 6 PM. Info and links provided.

REMINDER - MEETING IS SET FOR THURSDAY - Nov. 19 6 PM. Attend from the comfort of your home or from wherever best suits you.

Engage. Participate. Important public meeting is set and you can attend from the comfort of your home or office! No travel required.

The LUDLAM TRAIL will be a 5.6-mile, iconic greenway with paths for biking, walking, and running, connecting the heart of Miami-Dade. The trail will link schools, parks, transit, homes, workplaces and spots to shop & dine. 

The land was recently purchased by Miami-Dade County; a Project Development & Environment study and design of the trail are now underway. Stretching north-south from Robert King High Park to Downtown Kendall, this trail will form part of the “Miami Loop” in the county’s network of bikeways, along with the Underline. 

(CLICK HERE) to view the Public Information Meeting as well as the Ludlum Trail Corridor PD&E Study Virtual Public Meeting Invitation (2 pages of .PDF) where more information is available as well as how to register and participate in the virtual meeting. 

Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces is performing a Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study for the 5.6-mile-long Ludlam Trail Corridor from SW 80th Street to 400 feet north of NW 7th Street, generally following the north-south alignment of what would be NW/SW 69th Avenue, within the former Florida East Coast (FEC) Railway right-of-way. The project is located in unincorporated Miami-Dade County and the City of Miami, Florida.

The purpose of the Ludlam Trail is to provide a new shared-use trail in Miami-Dade County that will include safe, dedicated, direct pathways for walking, running, and cycling; to encourage active lifestyles and the use of green, non-motorized modes of transportation; and to enhance overall connectivity and accessibility between schools, parks, transit stops and residences, workplaces and shopping.

The proposed project supports the vision to provide an interconnected trail system offering transportation alternatives and reducing traffic congestion for a livable, sustainable County. Ludlam Trail will be a vital component of a seamless network of future greenway trails and water trails connecting to the Metrorail Dadeland North Station to the south and to other planned trails including The Underline/East Coast Greenway, South Dade Trail, Snapper Creek Trail, East/West Trail and Merrick Trail. It will enhance mobility and strengthen connections to neighboring communities, providing increased opportunities for economic development. 

Join our PD&E Virtual Public Information Meeting on Thursday, Nov. 19 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Ludlam Trail PD&E Fact Sheet 
Ludlam Trail PD&E Virtual Meeting invitation

Topic

Ludlam Trail PD&E - Virtual Public Information Meeting

Description

The Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces invites you to attend a Virtual Public Meeting regarding the proposed Ludlam Trail Corridor.

The virtual meeting will include a presentation of work in progress and include an interactive opportunity to ask questions and make suggestions about the project. This virtual meeting is being held to allow interested persons an opportunity to be informed about the proposed trail and provide comments. There will be a brief presentation at the beginning of the meeting starting at 6:15 pm.

Time

Nov 19, 2020 06:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Prior related posts - Ludlum Trail:

July 29, 2015, The Warren County Bike Trail - I contend that this is a model for the Ludlum Trail

October 4, 2019, NY Government for improved natural/recreational facilities. “DEC: Rail line should be deemed “interim trail”.

October 21, 2020, Tune in and Participate. Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces is performing a Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study for the 5.6-mile-long Ludlam Trail Corridor.

I hope to see you there!

Meeting Reminder: Tune in and Participate regarding the Ludlam Trail. Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Project meeting/update via Zoom, Nov. 19, 6 PM. Info and links provided.

Engage. Participate. Important public meeting is set and you can attend from the comfort of your home or office! No travel required.

The LUDLAM TRAIL will be a 5.6-mile, iconic greenway with paths for biking, walking, and running, connecting the heart of Miami-Dade. The trail will link schools, parks, transit, homes, workplaces and spots to shop & dine. 

The land was recently purchased by Miami-Dade County; a Project Development & Environment study and design of the trail are now underway. Stretching north-south from Robert King High Park to Downtown Kendall, this trail will form part of the “Miami Loop” in the county’s network of bikeways, along with the Underline. 

(CLICK HERE) to view the Public Information Meeting as well as the Ludlum Trail Corridor PD&E Study Virtual Public Meeting Invitation (2 pages of .PDF) where more information is available as well as how to register and participate in the virtual meeting. 

Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces is performing a Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study for the 5.6-mile-long Ludlam Trail Corridor from SW 80th Street to 400 feet north of NW 7th Street, generally following the north-south alignment of what would be NW/SW 69th Avenue, within the former Florida East Coast (FEC) Railway right-of-way. The project is located in unincorporated Miami-Dade County and the City of Miami, Florida.

The purpose of the Ludlam Trail is to provide a new shared-use trail in Miami-Dade County that will include safe, dedicated, direct pathways for walking, running, and cycling; to encourage active lifestyles and the use of green, non-motorized modes of transportation; and to enhance overall connectivity and accessibility between schools, parks, transit stops and residences, workplaces and shopping.

The proposed project supports the vision to provide an interconnected trail system offering transportation alternatives and reducing traffic congestion for a livable, sustainable County. Ludlam Trail will be a vital component of a seamless network of future greenway trails and water trails connecting to the Metrorail Dadeland North Station to the south and to other planned trails including The Underline/East Coast Greenway, South Dade Trail, Snapper Creek Trail, East/West Trail and Merrick Trail. It will enhance mobility and strengthen connections to neighboring communities, providing increased opportunities for economic development. 

Join our PD&E Virtual Public Information Meeting on Thursday, Nov. 19 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Ludlam Trail PD&E Fact Sheet 
Ludlam Trail PD&E Virtual Meeting invitation

Topic

Ludlam Trail PD&E - Virtual Public Information Meeting

Description

The Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces invites you to attend a Virtual Public Meeting regarding the proposed Ludlam Trail Corridor.

The virtual meeting will include a presentation of work in progress and include an interactive opportunity to ask questions and make suggestions about the project. This virtual meeting is being held to allow interested persons an opportunity to be informed about the proposed trail and provide comments. There will be a brief presentation at the beginning of the meeting starting at 6:15 pm.

Time

Nov 19, 2020 06:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Prior related posts - Ludlum Trail:

July 29, 2015, The Warren County Bike Trail - I contend that this is a model for the Ludlum Trail

October 4, 2019, NY Government for improved natural/recreational facilities. “DEC: Rail line should be deemed “interim trail”.

October 21, 2020, Tune in and Participate. Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces is performing a Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study for the 5.6-mile-long Ludlam Trail Corridor.

I hope to see you there!

Tune in and Participate. Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces is performing a Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study for the 5.6-mile-long Ludlam Trail Corridor.

Hi Friends, I continue my personal support to see this project gets funded and underway again. I encourage you to register for this virtual meeting and let our voices be heard. This is an outstanding project. 

Note that I am proud to have sponsored Palmetto Bay Resolution 2015-05 (CLICK HERE), wherein the Village of Palmetto Bay officially expressed support for the development of the Ludlum Trail as a lineal park. This was a publicly discussed agenda item and received full support, a unanimous 5-0 vote of support.

The following information is taken verbatim from the official Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces website:

(CLICK HERE) to view the official page where more information is available as well as registering to participate in the virtual meeting. 

Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces is performing a Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study for the 5.6-mile-long Ludlam Trail Corridor from SW 80th Street to 400 feet north of NW 7th Street, generally following the north-south alignment of what would be NW/SW 69th Avenue, within the former Florida East Coast (FEC) Railway right-of-way. The project is located in unincorporated Miami-Dade County and the City of Miami, Florida.

The purpose of the Ludlam Trail is to provide a new shared-use trail in Miami-Dade County that will include safe, dedicated, direct pathways for walking, running, and cycling; to encourage active lifestyles and the use of green, non-motorized modes of transportation; and to enhance overall connectivity and accessibility between schools, parks, transit stops and residences, workplaces and shopping.

The proposed project supports the vision to provide an interconnected trail system offering transportation alternatives and reducing traffic congestion for a livable, sustainable County. Ludlam Trail will be a vital component of a seamless network of future greenway trails and water trails connecting to the Metrorail Dadeland North Station to the south and to other planned trails including The Underline/East Coast Greenway, South Dade Trail, Snapper Creek Trail, East/West Trail and Merrick Trail. It will enhance mobility and strengthen connections to neighboring communities, providing increased opportunities for economic development. 

Join our PD&E Virtual Public Information Meeting on Thursday, Nov. 19 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Ludlam Trail PD&E Fact Sheet 
Ludlam Trail PD&E Virtual Meeting invitation

Topic

Ludlam Trail PD&E - Virtual Public Information Meeting

Description

The Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces invites you to attend a Virtual Public Meeting regarding the proposed Ludlam Trail Corridor.

The virtual meeting will include a presentation of work in progress and include an interactive opportunity to ask questions and make suggestions about the project. This virtual meeting is being held to allow interested persons an opportunity to be informed about the proposed trail and provide comments. There will be a brief presentation at the beginning of the meeting starting at 6:15 pm.

Time

Nov 19, 2020 06:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Prior related posts - Ludlum Trail:

July 29, 2015, The Warren County Bike Trail - I contend that this is a model for the Ludlum Trail

October 4, 2019, NY Government for improved natural/recreational facilities. “DEC: Rail line should be deemed “interim trail”.

NY Government for improved natural/recreational facilities. “DEC: Rail line should be deemed “interim trail”.

"Railbanking" "interim trail" NY Department of Environmental Conservation works to improve its recreational and natural infrastructure. Turning an unused rail line to trail. FLorida has an extensive Rails to Trails program.

The "DEC" refers to the state of New York Department of Environmental Conservation. I am promoting an interesting read from an upstate NY Media source. DEC: Rail line should be deemed 'interim trail' by Don Lehman, the Post Start. How things differ from NY to Florida. I would love to research why in NY it appears that unused rail lines can be declared "abandoned" and turned to a usable trail, even if 'interim", yet Florida grants rail easements that results in extensive property rights, costing significant dollars plus density development when the Florida rail lines are equally 'abandoned'. NY is obviously a more environmentally friendly State than Florida.

It appears that NY has a process that allows for use agreements between the DEC and railroads which  allows the railroads to avoid substantial maintenance and liability costs while permitting DEC to coordinate with concerned municipalities and other stakeholders to ensure the line benefits the region in the future. Nice. It appears to be a win/win.

Prior RELATED POSTS:
February 6, 2016, Dunedin to Tarpon Springs 1 30 16 - Riding the Pinellas Trail
and
July 29, 2015, The Warren County Bike Trail - I contend that this is a model for the Ludlum Trail

The Warren County Bike Trail - I contend that this is a model for the Ludlum Trail

Bicycle tourism is booming and Miami-Dade County needs to continue to add to and improve our bike trails in order to capture this market.

Personally,  Alexandra and I ride locally and enjoy biking the Palmetto Bay, Cutler Bay, Pinecrest, South Miami and Coral Gable areas on a regular basis.  We have also ridden parts of the Florida Keys, the Palm Beach and the Treasure Coast areas.  Last week (July 22-26) Alexandra and I spent part of my brief time off enjoying The Warren County bikeway it was a definite highlight and it struck me that this is what the Ludlum Trail could be if properly developed. The Ludlum Trail could offer the same opportunities (excluding, of course, the mountain views). We traveled the Warren County Bikeway from the northern start in Lake George Village to its southern end in downtown Glens Falls (though the bike trails continue at each end). The vast majority of the Warren County Bikeway is paved and for non-motor vehicle traffic.

It is interesting to note that it does intermingle with existing roads - it runs through nature preserves, along side commercial, municipal, golf courses and yes, through and part of existing affluent residential (single family home) neighborhoods.  I saw this trail to be well used by joggers, walkers and bikers. as the web site points out, where a separate trail was not possible, the trail intersects with local roads and shares the shoulder.

This trail offers both at ground level crossing with cross-secting streets as well as special over passes that allow users to cross well above and safely away from heavy traffic streets.

Commercial signage is also provided along this route, recognizing that users of this trail use it more more than recreation.  It is a safe route to travel to area businesses.  We observed users traveling to area grocery stores, restaurants and even the area municipal center.

Area shops cater to the business opportunities of the bikeway, including (obviously) the stores that rent the bikes for those who travel to the area to bike the Adirondacks - see: http://www.bikeadirondacks.org/ 

There is signage for schools, the library and other parks,

The bikeway is also used for travel to the jobs connected to these locations as well as to at least one school that we located.

The Warren County Bikeway offers an outstanding run - for work, play and sightseeing.  I highly recommend a trip on the Warren County Bikeway.

I also received a new toy for my birthday - the family gave me a GoPro - so it was appropriate that my first attempt in using this GoPro was filming our travels along the bike way.  Here is the initial start (both of the trail as well as my first attempt, so forgive the primitive first attempt). This video will provide a better feel of what it is like to travel the Warren County Bikeway.

Photos below are of just one of the businesses Alex and I patronized.  Proper bike trails add significant quality of life to the surrounding area.  I look forward to the Ludlum Trail becoming such a centerpiece.