PRESCOTT - For thousands of hikers and cyclists each year, Prescott's Peavine Trail offers a getaway - a chance to leave behind the traffic of everyday life.
Over its decade of existence, the multi-use trail - flanked as it is by striking views of the Granite Dells and Watson Lake - has become a recreational fixture in the community and throughout the country.
Today, about 36,000 hikers and cyclists use the trail each year, and the national Rails-to-Trails Conservancy describes it as "the gem in the national rail-trail network."
So the outcry was especially vehement earlier this year when the City of Prescott began considering roads in the area that would cross the trail in a number of locations.
Specifically, the debate has focused on whether the city should allow roads to cross the trail "at grade," or whether it should instead require underground or aboveground walkways to keep hikers and bicyclists separate from vehicular traffic.
The argument continued this past Friday, when City Engineer Scott Tkach met informally with about a dozen local residents - most of whom oppose "at-grade" crossings on the Peavine.
The discussion will continue this Friday at 9 a.m. at the Grace Sparkes Memorial Activity Center (old armory building), 824 E. Gurley St.
After the Prescott City Council asked for more information on the matter this past summer, Tkach said his department contracted with an engineering firm to evaluate possible crossings for the Peavine. Local firm Lyon Engineering completed the $19,545 study in late September.
The city's choice of engineering companies raised some concerns for the trails advocates at Friday's meeting.
Noting that Lyon also serves as the engineering firm for the developer of the land that borders the Peavine Trail, local resident Bruce McKeeman suggested that a conflict might exist.
But Tkach said he had made it clear to Lyon that the engineering study must be impartial.
"I told him (the engineer) that he needs to walk the line," Tkach said, adding that he emphasized to Lyon that "I'm your client."
Lyon was a logical choice, Tkach said, because the firm already had survey information on the area. To hire an outside firm to come in and redo that work would have cost an additional $5,000 to $10,000, he said.
And Mike Fann of Granite Dells Estates, the company developing land in the area, said he also advised Lyon Engineering that the city report should include "no influence whatsoever from the development side."
In fact, Fann said, "The developer doesn't have a strong position one way or another, because the developer won't be paying for (the crossings)."
Under the city's development agreement with Granite Dells Estates, any overpasses or underpasses on the trail would be the financial responsibility of the city.
The cost of the crossings also was a topic of discussion on Friday. While officials had earlier estimated the cost of above-ground bridges or box-culvert underpasses at as much as $1.5 million apiece, Lyon's study estimates such features at about $350,000 to $600,000 each, compared with about $46,000 for an at-grade crossing.
Local trail advocate George Sheats pointed out that grants might be available to cover the cost of the separated-grade crossings, and Tkach agreed, noting, "Obviously, from our perspective, grants would be number-one."
Other trail supporters emphasized the importance of pursuing options other than the at-grade crossings.
Stressing the national prominence of the Peavine, Joyce Mackin of the Yavapai Trails Association said she and other trail advocates "are saying we don't want at-grade crossings at Road 39 (within Granite Dells Estates) or Centerpointe East or anywhere else on the Peavine Trail."
The two most imminent road crossings on the Peavine would be on the portion of the trail north of the old Highway 89A overpass and south of the new Highway 89A.
Although the Lyon study sets out engineering standards for the trail crossings, Tkach pointed out that the matter is "a policy issue for the city council."
The Lyon study and its recommendations could go to the council within the next several weeks - possibly during December.
The city opened the Peavine to the public in summer 1999, after years of work on acquiring the right-of-way, which once served as the route for the Peavine line of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad.
The Peavine is located east of Watson Lake, off Sundog Ranch Road.
Posted: Saturday, November 21, 2009
Article comment by:
RE: I'm not getting out of the way. .
Then expect a face full of Arizona roost. .
Posted: Friday, November 20, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Yes, the trail is ADA accessible for anyone wanting to use a motorizes wheelchair, scooter, etc. They are not being denied access because they are ADA, the mode of transportation allowed to be used on the trail is being regulated. The speed of a motorized wheelchair or a scooter is vastly safer then a quad or a dirt bike. If I am walking the trail, I am not getting out of the way of someone breaking the regulations by using a quad or dirt bike, they try to hit me and I’ll consider it attempted murder and defend myself appropriately.
Posted: Friday, November 20, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
When everyone has to start paying taxes for every mile they drive (as its already being done in some states) you will be screaming for a better trail system to be in place to avoid driving. But, if we had a developed trail system and multi use paths then I guess the stats and local government would lose out on tax money when that notion comes to this state.
Posted: Friday, November 20, 2009
Article comment by:
16 year resident & trail volunteer and enthusiast
Dear trail enthusiasts and supporters,
Please know that this current Road 39 crossing under consideration is only the first one of FIVE planned Peavine trail crossings being considered in this new development area. How this first crossing gets decided will no doubt set the precedent on what we get in the future. This area is zoned for up to 65 percent residential homes so car volume and trail impact will no doubt be significant in the future. Is this what you want in a trail experience? Please attend today's meeting at the Rec Armory, 9 am or at least call 777-1111 or email all council members http://www.cityofprescott.net/email.php?id=4 and let them know that they need to put the safety and quality of trail experience before a johnny come lately development. Our collective community priorities are in sad shape if we lose this incredible recreational experience to the preferred convenience of car travelers and short term cost concerns over this long term quality of life issue.
Posted: Friday, November 20, 2009
Article comment by:
Bob
Typical ADA trail access nationally involves battery operated wheelchairs and 3 or 4 wheel scooters which can operate at a maximum speed of 3-7 MPH.
Posted: Thursday, November 19, 2009
Article comment by:
Gee, another natural attraction! Let's wreck it!
Why in the hey do some of you people have such a problem with people who like to walk and bike on the Peavine. You sorely need 'tude adjustments! And quads . . . you HAVE to be kidding. They'd wreck that beautiful trail faster than any developer could. It's just hard to believe anyone who put streets anywhere near this unique trail system. Pure idiocy. As for the number of people using it, yes, it easily sees 100 people a day. Doesn't matter if they're "unique" users or not. The numbers are definitely there. LEAVE THE PEAVINE AS IS!!!!
Posted: Thursday, November 19, 2009
Article comment by:
Maveth
No Name: Why not expand on the 10+ years and only elect people who were born and raised in this area? Overall, we have a lot more love and respect for Prescott and the surrounding regions than (those) who bring their bad ideas, habits, and politics with them.
Posted: Thursday, November 19, 2009
Article comment by:
Maveth
Sheesh: Yes, I am serious. Wheelchairs and whatnot are not practical for many of these trails -- but quads will work fine.
Posted: Thursday, November 19, 2009
Article comment by:
Maveth
Brandon: What you want is irrelevant -- what I want to be able to do to access the trail when I lose full mobility is what is important -- that is what the ADA is for. You don't like it, tough.
Posted: Thursday, November 19, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Just because a group of ex-Californian's put up signs that say no motorized vehicles doesn't mean anything to me. You can't exclude one group from trails that have been open for years just because that's how they do it in California. Put up all the little brown sticks you want. .
Posted: Thursday, November 19, 2009
Article comment by:
Stay at home if you can't handle traffic.
Trust me on this one: I will be able to cross the Peavine trail at street level without being hit by a car. Take it to the bank, I'll wager everything I own and give you bigtime odds on it. There are a lot of things I can't do but that is not one of them. If you cannot say the same maybe you should not be out there. Maybe you should stay in a safer place, walk up the sidewalk near your house.
Posted: Thursday, November 19, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Maybe we should consider how long someone has lived in the area before they are elected to office. Only those who have lived here 10+ years truely appreciate the area for what it is. You left your town for a reason so why do you insist on making our town just like the one you left? Leave the land alone.
Posted: Thursday, November 19, 2009
Article comment by:
Terrified of Traffic
If you are a fitness walker or bicyclist, I am sure you appreciate having a place to walk or ride without the fear of being hit by a car. I know I do and that is the reason I utilize the Peavine Trail. There is no other place, that I am aware of, that offers this security in the Prescott area. Please do not ruin the safest place we have to walk and bike in Prescott. Please.
If there aren't many horses on the trails, they can't be destroying the trails as implied. Horse apples, bisquits, poop or whatever you want to call it is biodegradable. People pay to buy it for their gardens. The trails get it for free. If there are at grade crossings, I hope the relatives of the first person, while in the crossings killed by some idiot speeding down the road in their SUV or whatever, talking or texting on their phones sues the heck out of both the driver and the city for the decision to install unsafe at grade crossings.
Posted: Thursday, November 19, 2009
Article comment by:
Happy Trails!
Leave the trail alone! There are always other alternatives. No need to mess up a good thing. Sometimes progress means leaving things alone.
Posted: Thursday, November 19, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
There's problem anyway you do it. Underground has the water drainage problem and maintenance of that stuff. Overpass has the structural problem with heavy horses and railings and the uphill/downhill thing. At grade is a problem worrying about cars and signals. I'd say at grade is the least complicated and least expensive, but the folks won't like it as much. You'll never get a wheelchair up and down on overpass, no way, so they'll just have to turn around. Horses should turn around and go back too, or go somewhere else where there aren't walking/biking folks around IMO. I don't like horses riding with people walking much. There aren't that many horses being ridden anyway, they can use more rustic trails than the flat Peavine.
TO: No name provided, you sure don't know much about horses, it's "biscuits" not poop! To hit a horse biscuit while biking can ruin your day.
Posted: Thursday, November 19, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Yeah, there are much better places to live in the US who understand the importance to having a safe trail system and the benefits it brings to a town. Those communities attract seem to have a way of attracting the higher educated and affluent populations. They are usually also the more popular vacation destinations. And us Preskit residence would hate for that to happen degrade our charming podunk kind of way. I don’t think we should invest any money into our community’s future, the developers know best anyway; we should bow to the delightful mess they make of a community in the name of greater profits.
Posted: Thursday, November 19, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
According to the NPS, horses do the most damage to trails, and ATV's are next, especially in wet conditions,and horses leave poop all over the place.
Posted: Thursday, November 19, 2009
Article comment by:
Empty Pockets
We are suffering from a recession and the city is spending $19,545. Wow, people are being laid off and they are spending money like this? Let's also spend $20,000 to hire a firm to study the Rock Squirrel mating process because of the new roads. Yea, we need a new counsel.
Posted: Thursday, November 19, 2009
Article comment by:
Scooter
Part of the solitude of the trail is that there is no noise of vehicular traffic.
Posted: Thursday, November 19, 2009
Article comment by:
Tongue-in-cheek
How about at grade crossing with flashing lights and drop down crossing arms to stop traffic when a hiker approaches. I guess that may not work because we would have to equip each hiker with air horns to warn their approach. I hope this is a serious conversation about how tax money should be spent, I sure wouldn't want a hiker to slow or stop if a car happened to be approaching when they crossed the road. This is reminiscent of the million dollar turtle crossing in Florida. In downtown Prescott, people seem do just fine cutting across the streets in traffic just any old place they feel like crossing. I suppose hikers come from a "higher calling" in life and should not be inconvenienced in any tiny way.
Posted: Thursday, November 19, 2009
Article comment by:
Prescottonian
Trails should stay as Hiking and Horses and Bicyclist Only. Whenever quads and other ATVs get on the trails, they are rude and disrespectful of those walking on the trails. Plus ATVs are noisy and really tear up the existing trails, as well as going off the trail and tearing up undesignated areas. ATVs have plenty of other trails in the area that are designated to their use. They don't need to ruin more.
Posted: Thursday, November 19, 2009
Article comment by:
Steve
The disabled can use electric chairs instead of quads. Quads would be too dangerous for everyone else. You are talking about preferential treatment for a small slice of the population.
Posted: Thursday, November 19, 2009
Article comment by:
hiker/biker
If a solution cannot be found without affecting the Peavine Trail System, then the Granite Dells Estates development and any other should be put on hold. No at grade crossings. The Peavine was here first, it must not be degraded for the good of developers.
