Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Groovin' on Safety

A brief respite from the ongoing gnashing of teeth and garment-rending

By Curmugeon

Amidst all the gnashing of teeth and garment-rending going on, thought I'd just mention a good news story in Wednesday morning's Standard-Examiner:

Groovin' on Safety / Ogden Canyon underpass connects trails off the highway.

From Mr. Schwebke's story:

Installation of [a 128-foot-long [pedestrian underpass beneath busy State Road 39 ]... is scheduled to be completed this week at the mouth of Ogden Canyon adjacent to Rainbow Gardens. The tunnel will enable hikers to reach the Ogden River Parkway, Birdsong, Rainbow and Bonneville Shoreline trails without having to dodge cars while crossing State Road 39....A parking lot with space for 20 vehicles will be built next to the tunnel entrance. A 90-foot-long bridge across the Ogden River has already been installed as part of the underpass project.... The tunnel should be open in mid-October once retaining walls are built.
The project, the story reports, is being paid for by RAMP funds, a state grant and money from Weber Pathways. And it could not have happened without the help of the Ogden City government which arranged a land-swap between Ogden and Rainbow Gardens needed to make the project possible, Schwebke reports. And the city is helping pay for other trail improvements along the river:

Work has also been completed on a separate project to install a 64-foot-long concrete tunnel underneath railroad tracks near Exchange Road and the Ogden Kayak Park on the Weber River, Wallace said. The project will enable hikers and bikers to go from Rainbow Gardens to Fort Buenaventura, which is about 10 miles away. The $142,000 tunnel will connect to the Weber River Parkway and is being funded by state and city funds.
Thanks due to the city Administration, the Council, the County [for the RAMP funds], the voters [who approved the RAMP tax], to the state and to Weber Pathways, all of whom played roles in making these projects happen. Good things do happen in Ogden when people find projects about which they agree and can work together to bring about. There is common ground on which the Administration and Ogdenites who often oppose Administration-backed projects [myself among them] can stand. It would be useful, I think, and good for Ogden for the Administration and Administration critics find more of that common ground, or to try to create it.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

But, Good Old (?) Curmudgeon, what's high-adventure about a walking/hiking tunnel? How will we attract stinky, adrenaline-starved high-adventure campers to save our collective economic asses and our town that was completely boarded-up before THE SKI IS BEAUTIFUL BLUE and Short-deck sped into town in their decal-ridden vehicles to spark a high-adventure renaissance and build THE GONDOLA to nowhere? This demographic of high-adventure patchouli-oil-and-onions-and-Phish fanatics spends a fortune on fake sky-diving, faux surfing, August ice-climbing, velodrome-visiting, and pitching tents where Cavendish cruises. That's why we're a Mecca now! To get these smelly buggers (literally!) to spend their high-adventure dollars here, doing high-adventure recreation Mecca things. We don't want our city to provide services for its residents and an environment where one can affordably dine, shop, play golf, even have a sasparilla and whiskey cocktail on rare occasions. We want high-adventure THE GONDOLA and a high-adventure castle in Malan's Basin that doesn't have a sewer but is serviced via shit orbs. That's what Addled Ed Allen wants; that's what GTrain Wilkerson wants; that's what Cavendish wants (among other things); that's what Lying Little Matty Gondola Godfrey wants and, damn it, in his words, if I don't want it, "Why don't you move?" Little asshole.

THE SKI IS BEAUTIFUL BLUE

Anonymous said...

Jason:
Who is Cavendish?

Anonymous said...

Ahhh, Good Old (?) Curmudgeon, that's a mystery even to a few of his fellow brave soldiers in Wayne Peterson's famed Squirrel Patrol.

THE SKI IS BEAUTIFUL BLUE

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Do you think lying little matty is aware that a faithful member of his team is more world renowned that his gondola or anyone else he knows? It's ironic that like all others in his camp this also has a somewhat shady undertone to the noteriety.

Anonymous said...

Note, I'm not implying any judgement with regards to the sexual nature of this individual, it's the nature of what his peers and acquaintances have to say about him that provides noteriety.

Anonymous said...

Todays paper in the business section list Curt Geiger as a winner of the business contest, came in 3rd for $5,000. I guess if he came in first it would of looked rigged. The paper did mention his Mom and her role in the city.
I hope the winners do stay in business and don't take the money and bail.

WhatWardRUin said...

how ironic that this trail crossing project was not supported by godfrey. he wanted a bridge ($20-million)next to the pipeline crossing the mouth of the canyon and was opposed to the tunnel concept. if not for the courage and ingenuity of the city public works director, streets manager and city engineer this new tunnel and bridge would not have been completed. they came up with the idea, found the funding, designed and got a contractor to build this all without godfrey. not that headcounts always matter most, but i would bet that more people will use this trail than the ice tower and velodrome combined. my hat is off to those that have a sense of the right thing to do and the conviction to make it happen. shame on godfrey for all of the money wasted on his pipe dreams.

Anonymous said...

Rudizink:
"Thanks due to the city Administration, the Council, the County [for the RAMP funds], the voters [who approved the RAMP tax], to the state and to Weber Pathways, all of whom played roles in making these projects happen."

To be sure....however, you left out the very people that whatward mentioned. I can promise you, she is right. Wish I could tell more.
KUDOS to my dear friends in the public works/streets/engineering departments for getting this done! I was by your side, and I saw you do it! And I know where/where not the help and teamwork did or did not come from.
We need a new mayor and administration. When is election time again???????
These people that helped get THIS project done are the ones we need in office!

Anonymous said...

Aw come on now Jason, how do you know what cavendish wants? Hope it aint from person exposure, otherwise we will have to have you tested.

And of all the many revolting comments you have made "sasparilla and whiskey cocktail" has to be the very worst. Please tell us you ain't on that dreadful combination that robs one of soul and senses.

Anonymous said...

4myesyes only:

We need a new mayor and administration.

Yeah, well, the voters had a chance to have a new administration just last year. They said "no." So, like it or not, the Godfrey administration is going to be running things in the Mayor's office [and so in most city departments] for the next three years. At least. And so, seems to me, it would be in the city's best interest for folks not much enamored of Hizzonah's administration to, never the less, find ways to work with him and his people at least on those projects on which both sides share the same views and ends. The alternative--- three years of gridlock and ill-mannered contention over everything or damn near--- will not serve the city well.

Anonymous said...

Mr. Curmudgeon

I beg to differ with you! I think three years of gridlock would be much better for Ogden's long term health -vs- three more years of idiotic Godfreyite looting of the public treasury for one goof ball project after another.

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