Posted by Resident, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Sep 5, 2012 at 8:24 am

Can we have some clarification please.

Are bike trails, mtb trails for serious mountain bikers? If so, these are not suitable for hiking or for road bikes.

If these are bike dedicated bike paths, will they also be something that are suitable for pedestrians to use?

I think it is very important to clarify if these are something that are going to draw mountain bikers from all over the area, or if they are something that just makes recreational biking and hiking as well as commuting, easier.

Posted by Resident, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Sep 5, 2012 at 8:33 am

Here is a video of a serious bike trail? I think we need to know if one of these trails are what is being considered near the Dish. Web Link

Posted by finally, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Sep 5, 2012 at 8:38 am

I'm glad that this project is finally getting started after 12 years of stalling.

However, I am very disappointed with the convoluted route they picked to cross I-280. The distance along this route is twice as long as it has to be, which will discourage almost all pedestrians from using it.

To answer the previous question, I'm pretty sure the trails east of I-280 are all paved and standard multi-use width (12 foot or so). West of I-280, they will probably all be narrow dirt trails.

Posted by Bert, a resident of the Downtown North neighborhood, on Sep 5, 2012 at 7:09 pm

These will likely all be paved "MUPs" (muli-use paths) like the Stevens Creek Trail. Most experienced bicyclists hate these MUPs because they can only be used at very slow speed due to the iPodestrians and inattentive side-by-side walkers. Foothill College has a short but interesting path that has a paved bikeway with a crushed gravel ped path next to it to reduce the conflicts. I wish that approach were more common.

Posted by Tyler Hanley, online editor of Palo Alto Online, on Sep 7, 2012 at 9:13 am
Tyler Hanley is a member (registered user) of Palo Alto Online

The following comment was moved from a duplicate thread:

Posted by decimal point?, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, 12 hours ago:

The Dumbarton trail is NOT 27 miles long like this article claims. Did the author forget a decimal point or reverse the digits? 0.72 mile is far closer to the truth. This is a very short trail (a couple of blocks) between East Menlo Park and East Palo Alto.

Posted by Outside Observer, a resident of another community, on Sep 7, 2012 at 4:20 pm

Lets see... A bicyclist calling legitimate legal trail users "iPodestrians and inattentive side-by-side walkers".

If that's not the pot calling the kettle black, then I don't know what is.

Posted by jim sullivan, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Sep 9, 2012 at 8:24 am

I'll suggest one correction in trail designation.

The existing trail shown in the S-1 designated area(from Junipero Serra west +splitting at Deer Creek rd+"Matadero Trail Hiking Path(MTHP)")

The Deer Creek rd split funnels walkers (+dogs) onto a hard pack dirt trail that heads over to Arastradero rd at Purissima, this trail is labeled"Matadero Trail Hiking Path(MTHP)" on the following link-map.

Web Link

Bicyclists are directed to stay on Deer Creek rd, and eventually end up at the same spot x Purissima rd+Arastradero rd.

My suggestion is that the MTHP be opened to bicyclists, fat tire,skinny tire alike.

This is a beautiful stretch of trail, we pedalers enjoy the scenic route just as much as any other trail user.

Two last thoughts,

I, like many other bicyclists, have 0 interest in mixing w motor vehicles while exercising.

With the ample "hiker only" trails by the dish, the ability to walk unfettered by having to share is readily available close by.

Please re-designate the MTHP as true multi use,