From billbus at frontier.com Fri Jan 6 18:55:16 2012 From: billbus at frontier.com (Bill Bussey) Date: Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:55:16 -0500 Subject: American Tobacco Trail Workday January 7 9:15 Scott King Road and ATT Message-ID: <4F0789E4.2090100@frontier.com> Hi Volunteers for the American Tobacco Trail, This late message is to remind you of our American Tobacco Trail workday, *Saturday, November 12* at about 9:15 a.m. on the American Tobacco Trail at the Scott King Road Access 580 Scott King Road, Durham, NC 27713 . If this link doesn't work, Google Scott King Road and American Tobacco Trail. Please let me know by emailing me, Bill Bussey at billbus at frontier.com that you will be at the workday. Unless you let me know you will be there, I'll take my time in getting there on this Saturday morning. As usual, we'll be trimming anything that needs trimming at this intersection, as well as picking up any trash here. We'll also head south on the trail to cut and trim some of the other areas where grass and weeds tend to grow quickly. And we may do some grooming and other work on our new Herndon Park ATT connector located 1/4 mile north of this intersection. And we'll empty the two trash cans here too. We may later run down to the Pittard-Sears Road Access to do some clearing there. *At this Saturdays' workday, as always, you should bring work gloves, full shoes or boots, long pants, *and other clothing appropriate for the weather. *Never come to an American Tobacco Trail workday without some kind of work gloves! * Use your own judgment to make the call whether you want to attend the workday in rainy, cold, sketchy or uncomfortable conditions. If you have your doubts about coming due to rain in the area, follow them, or email me or call me at 919 545-9104 as late as 8 a.m. You will need to sign a waiver and participation list. If possible bring your own tools. I have two pairs of loppers and one saw that volunteers can use, but that is about it. ** Please let Bill Bussey 919 545-9104 know anytime if you have any questions. For more information on ATT workdays, please see our Volunteering page at: http://triangletrails.org/VOLUNTEERS.HTM Last week, Danielle and Deb Farzanegan joined Bill Bussey at the site of our future ATT Parking Access on Pittard Sears Road. The group cleared downed trees and limbs, really opening up the area a bit. Many thanks to Danielle and Deb for their great work! As always, if you see any unsafe conditions, areas for improvement, or anything you think is of interest, please contact Bill Bussey 919 545-9104 and we'll do what it takes to make it better. Members of this list are the eyes and ears of the ATT. Thanks for helping to make the American Tobacco Trail better by donating your precious time and resources, and by simply using it. Remember, you *can always *help the ATT and other trails, greenways and paths in the Triangle - or anywhere on the planet - by *picking up and hauling out at least one piece of trash*, or picking up and throwing as far off the trail, at least one stick, limb or fallen tree, on *every *visit or use. If everyone who used our greenways, trails or paths picked up and removed at least one piece of trash, stick or limb, we'd have the cleanest trails and open space around! Soccer players can practice their soccer kick by kicking off dried horse manure from the trail. Just kick it off to the side. It normally isn't that messy, and if it is, you generally have a long walk to clean it off. It is a great way to keep in shape. *Also, the signs are up for NO PARKING along the busy O'Kelly Chapel Road.* *The NC Highway Patrol is now enforcing this no parking. **Be forewarned they are ready to ticket and tow.* *Please do not park between the signs here because vehicles parked here obstruct the view of oncoming traffic by trail users. *Please park elsewhere along the ATT, particularly if you have children or dogs. The best place to park to use this section is north at Herndon Park on Scott King Road; or south at the White Oak Church Road Access. Both of these are off-road trail access facilities, You can park along a less heavier traveled - but still of concern - Scott King Road next to the park if you like, but Herndon Park is by far the better alternative. You can find directions at www.triangletrails.org. You can also park nearby on Pittard-Sears Road . Don't worry about the No Parking signs there, as long as you don't park in front of the neighbor's driveway, in front of the trail gates or in the development to the west of the trail. Pittard Sears Road is a dead end road with currently little traffic. Park along the side of the road surrounding the trail crossing. Please do not park inside the new development just west of the trail on the left. Also, do not park in front of driveways or the trail entrance. On another note, please *pay particular care and attention when crossing O'Kelly Chapel Road, particularly if you have children, dogs or horses.* Due to the speed of traffic and the limited sight lines, O'Kelly Chapel is arguably the most dangerous road crossing along the trail south of I-40 in Chatham and Wake counties. If any vehicles are parked here - which they shouldn't be - it is even more dangerous. Though marked with bicycle crossing signs and stripes, traffic seldom slows down. There is a lot of traffic (being a straight line cut through from NC 751 and NC 55) and the sight lines are minimal at best. Traffic comes fast around a short sight line curve in the road and is on ATT users crossing before you know it. This is compounded by trail users parking along the side of the road here. *However, as noted above, Parking is no longer permitted on O'Kelly Chapel Road.* No Parking Signs have been posted and law enforcement officers are starting to enforce it. Please *heed the STOP signs* on the trail particularly when crossing O'Kelly Chapel Road. Look as far as you can both ways down O'Kelly Chapel Road before you cross - and then cross quickly. If you have children, dogs or are on horseback, please cross O'Kelly Chapel Road quickly together. Future workdays are still being planned. Here is the tentative schedule for upcoming workdays. *Note that these can change due to weather, staffing, or if there is an area on the trail that needs immediate attention.* *Upcoming American Tobacco Trail Workdays * *Saturday, January 7* Durham Workday 9:15 a.m. Scott King Road Access 580 Scott King Road, Durham, NC 27713 . *Saturday, January 14* Durham Workday 9:15 a.m. Fayetteville Road Parking Access at 7724 Fayetteville Road, Durham NC 27713 . This may change!** * Saturday, January 21 * Chatham Workday 9:00 a.m. Pittard-Sears Road Access. *Saturday, January 28 * Chatham Workday 9:00 a.m. Pittard-Sears Road Access. *Saturday, February 4* Durham Workday 9:15 a.m. Scott King Road Access 580 Scott King Road, Durham, NC 27713 . *Monday, December 6 *TRTC Monthly Meeting Woodcroft Professional Center at intersection of Fayetteville Road and Woodcroft Parkway in southern Durham 7:30 p.m. All are Welcome! *Here is an easy way to help TRTC support the American Tobacco Trail* while using your computer. Go to http://www.goodsearch.com/ . At the "Who do you Goodsearch for?" button in the middle of the page, enter TRTC, or Triangle Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. Save it as instructed. * Or Better Yet, make it Your Homepage in your browser!* See your browser's instructions on how to make this page your homepage. Instead of using Google or Yahoo as your search engine, use http://www.goodsearch.com/ . TRTC will get about a penny a search in most situations. You can read all about it at the website. Check it out!* It works very well!* It is now my search engine of choice! Please let me know if you have any questions. comments or concerns. Thank you for your support of the Triangle Rails to Trails Conservancy! Our work continues in 2011 and beyond, and donations of any amount are gladly accepted and needed. TRTC will continue to apply for trails-related grants but funds from memberships and donations remain an important mechanism for acquiring tools and supplies used in our year-round efforts to maintain the ATT and other local trails. We need donations and memberships to pay for our trail workday insurance as well as to assist in matching grant funding. Thank you for your continued support, and happy holidays! * You Lookin' for Maps?! *You can print out our latest ATT map *right now* at http://www.triangletrails.org/ATT.HTM . Click on both links under the thumbnail for both sides of the map. Thanks to Wayne Horton for this map which is arguably one of the most popular trail maps in the triangle. And let me take this opportunity to *Thank You* for all of your help and support in building, cleaning and clearing the American Tobacco Trail in 2011 and 2013. Thanks to your hard work, expertise and diligent efforts, we are making steady progress. Thousands of trail users are **now safely using** the sections of the trail and facilities you have helped clear, clean and build. We get so many wonderful comments and thanks on how well the trail looks when folks use these facilities. These trail users are often **amazed** to find out that these improvements were done **completely** by volunteers. Thank you for the great work and for volunteering your valuable time to help with this project. Know that it wouldn't be possible without the great work of each and every one of you. Thanks for your help and support in building the American Tobacco Trail. Happy Trails, Bill Bussey Triangle Rails-to-Trails Conservancy americantobaccotrail at embarqmail.com www.triangletrails.org 919 545-9104 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From billbus at frontier.com Thu Mar 15 07:31:34 2012 From: billbus at frontier.com (Bill Bussey) Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2012 07:31:34 -0400 Subject: Marathon on ATT this Sunday, March 18 7 to about noon Message-ID: <4F61D316.8050801@frontier.com> Hi Friends, Volunteers and Users of the American Tobacco Trail and TRTC, The Annual Tobacco Road Marathon and Half Marathon will be held this Sunday morning, March 18, on the American Tobacco Trail starting at 7 a.m. The races will utilize all of the Wake County and Chatham County sections and the Durham section up to Scott King Road. The races - with over 4000 runners - will use the ATT south from Scott King Road (Mile 11.6) to New Hill-Olive Chapel Road (Mile 0). While the ATT will remain open during the race - for your comfort you may want to use the ATT north of Scott King Road, or I-40, that morning, or plan on enjoying any portion of the trail after 1 p.m. that afternoon. Also note that traffic on O'Kelly Chapel, Pittard Sears, New Hope Church, Morrisville Parkway, Green Level West, Wimberly Road, and Olive Chapel Road (and maybe others) may temporarily be stopped as runners cross these roadways on the ATT.*Expect delays.* For Questions on these closures you can call 919 545-9104 (after 7 or leave message for Bill) or see the race web site at: www.tobaccoroadmarathon.com The race is still looking for volunteers to help staff the many things needed before, during and after the race. There may still be time to sign up. Please sign up to help at: http://www.tobaccoroadmarathon.com/volunteer Or if you can't help Sunday, you can always pick up the trash - particularly the discarded tiny shiny mylar tear off tabs from the Energy Gel packs given to runners during the race, or any other trash you find on the trail after the race. If you have questions, comments or observations, please feel free to contact Bill at 919 545-9104 (leave message) or americantobaccotrail at embarqmail.com . * Very Quick News on the Bridge over I-40 and final phase of 4.5 miles of the ATT in Durham* Last month, Blythe Construction of Charlotte was the only bidder after a third bid opening. Their bid was about as expected. This bid must be certified and approved by NCDOT. If the City Council approves the contract in April 2012, it is anticipated the contractor may be released for construction by June 2012. Keep in mind that during construction, the ATT from the Chatham County line north to Massey Chapel, the trail currently maintained and managed by TRTC Volunteers, will be closed as a construction zone while construction is happening. We'll have more details as we get them. Happy Trails, Bill Bussey Triangle Rails-to-Trails Conservancy 919 545-9104 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: