Let me start off by saying I appreciate everything the trail blazers do. I'm a member and make monthly donations to the club, but I've also never attended a meeting. I feel like the majority of our members are like me. Only time I really check this site is for trail closures. Occasionally I'll look at these forums when something weird is going on, like one of Charlotte's most popular trails being closed for nearly a month. 

The lack of any real response to questions like these is a common occurrence, it seems. Why? Why not just be transparent with your members? The people who fund the entire operation? Yes, we may not be the ones out there getting dirty on a regular bases, but we still support the club and are owed an explanation. 

When you aren't transparent, you invite the curious to go check for themselves. Also, BYT is a huge trail system. If there are certain loops with issues, why not just close those loops? The reality is, the club really has no power to stop anyone from riding these trails at any time they want, but there are those of us who try our best to respect trail closures. When a trial has been closed for almost a month with no explanation, many will start to question if the closures are valid or reasonable. 

A great example of this is at renny, which at one time was marked closed for months even while short track races were taking place. When things like that happen, those of us who normally try to respect the closures will assume they no longer have meaning.

Also, short track can be ridden when Renni is closed, so closed means closed and fences up mean don’t ride around it.

LittleSammyFly wrote on 06/13/20 at 11:43am:



Dixie River trail.  No posted workdays or trail status, yet high $$ club equipment stolen from the site, and videos on YouTube showing a pretty well ridden trails system.

Just because you are in the club doesn't mean you are in the club.   

A two word mention in monthly club minutes 

Wears my bike wrote on 06/17/20 at 3:38am:


Why not open the trail without parking similar to what was done during the stay at home order? I'm definitely not close enough to ride in like with BYT but I'm sure there are plenty of others that are who would love to utilize the trail system. 

Quote:


Ultimate Thread jacking time, lol.  BYT being wet is old news   

Since the Thread has over 1200 views I'll chime in on the thread jacking as one of the team members that has worked to develop the Dixie River Project for over three years now.  Sorry, I won't do an extensive Q and A on responses to this post, but I want to point out the very basics of what is now transpiring.  

The Dixie River Property is a city parcel that is leased to the County for Meck County Parks and Recreation to manage.  We, the THTB, have an agreement to build trails on said property.  However, we are not a government organization and cannot simply "Open" a new public park whenever we please.  The government entity has to agree that conditions are safe, add the management of the park to their internal workload, and then when they are ready, the park can be opened to the public.  To be fair, the county never asked for a new park here.  Hell, many of their top staff didn't even realize they have an agreement on this parcel (since it's city property) to use it as a park.  Because of this it has taken them a while to figure out how this new park fits into their parks system.  It's not on any of their internally adopted plans for new park development.  Yes, the County has been aware of our trail development every step of the way, but now that we're relatively close to the finish line for phase 1, they actually have to get their ducks in a row.  The county has been working to open parks in other areas they serve and when you try to bring a new park online that wasn't really in their work queue, you have to wait.   

The point of that explanation is it's their park not ours.  The THTB has no power to open a new publicly accessible amenity, only the land manager does...  We are working to come to an agreement with the County on how a parking lot can be constructed and how the park will be managed once it is able to be open to the public.  We can only advocate for the County to make this park a priority, we can't force them to open it.  It's up to them to see the value in opening a new park and moving this project up in their queue to make it happen.  

Real progress is being made and the THTB organization will communicate to the masses when it is the appropriate time.

NC Kingsting wrote on 06/21/20 at 10:36pm:



My money is on Robert C making some random comment on some random post sometime within the next 30 days about not being in the in crowd who are not giving updates in Dixie.

Was riding by the BYT this morning on the greenway and thought I saw a physical OPEN/CLOSED sign (today's case was showing as OPEN) at the entrance to one of the more frequented entrances.  If this is a new utility- THANK YOU to those who implemented this.  Great solution which should keep folks off the trail when it is too wet/ and lower the erosion / wear factor.  Again- thank you.

If the storm and high winds that hit us in the Dilworth area yesterday evening rolled through BYT too then I'm guessing it's going to be a while before it reopens as there are bound to be trees down and debris all over the place.

Out of interest, which status does Marion Diehl folllow?  Often PRP is open when BYT is closed but no mention of MD. Just wondering if linking PRP  and MD  is an option while BYT is closed. Is MD even maintenained anymore? Haven't been down it since the BYT parking lot opened.

Technically the MD side is not a THTB trail but been using it for over 30 years. From what I was told the greenway will be coming off keystone court all the way around to connect to the real greenway at some point. I also remember that queens was going to put in another practice field at some point and time. That trail has been on borrowed time for many many years.