Miccosukee Canopy Road Greenway Management Plan Draft Presentation
5:30pm November 7 at The Hub @ Feather Oaks, 6500 Miccosukee Road
The draft plan can be reviewed here:
Miccosukee Canopy Road Greenway Citizen Advisory Committee
Capital City Cyclists participated on the Citizen Advisory Committee that recommended the goals and objectives for the plan. The plan is the third ten-year update. The Greenway is located on State of Florida conservation lands and is leased to Leon County. The State bought the land from the Welaunee developer for $4,000,000, in part to protect the Miccosukee Canopy Road.
The seven-mile Greenway has become a popular destination for cyclists, runners, walkers, equestrians, and others. The county operates four trailheads making the park easily accessible.
Dangerous New Roads Crossing Trails
An unfortunate part of the purchase was a series of utility and road easements crossing the Greenway. The road easements will seriously degrade the experience of park users who will have cross up to four busy roads. The first road to be built is an extension of Dempsey Mayo to connect the new development to Mahan. County planners expect 7500 vehicles to cross the Greenway on this road extension.
Capital City Cyclists made park user a safety an issue before the Leon County Commission and during meetings of the Miccosukee Greenway Citizens Advisory Committee. The Commission voted to reduce the speed limit, narrow the lanes, and install a user-operated red light at the intersection of the trail.
The Citizens Advisory Committee set safety objectives for new intersections of trails and roads. The commitment for the trail crossing safety is not included in the plan. Included in the background section is an uncertain explanation of what to expect with the other three proposed roads. Hopefully the City of Tallahassee and the developer will scale back the remaining road plans.
Capital City Cyclists will continue to advocate for the best possible safety measures for areas where new roads will cross the park.
Flooding Continues
Another issue not well-addressed in the plan is the flooding just east of the Edenfield Trailhead. For months the trail was drowned under ponded floodwaters and unusable. Park staff used dirt to elevatethe trail across the water.
While there is evidence of previous flooding in this area, the impact is worse from the heavy rainfall in March and April. Some suggest that the design of the stormwater facility is increasing groundwater. There is also that possibility that water redirected from the newly constructed extension of Welaunee Parkway may be increasing the amount of water pooling on the Greenway.
Cyclists and others are encouraged to review the Miccosukee Canopy Road Greenway Management Plan.
Come to the community meeting 5:30pm November 7 at The Hub @ Feather Oaks, 6500 Miccosukee Road.