A few pesky obstructions deter tourists, pedestrians, and cyclists

from going to High Falls from Downtown Rochester.

It’s time to fix that.

go through
the aqueduct arch
(and graffiti gallery)

Jon Schull
JSchull@gmail.com
585-738-6696
We need a simple, clear, proposition that is head-slappingly obvious and appealing
for decision makers as well as residents.

CAMP and Roc the Riverway are not fundamentally about transportation.

The real value of getting this right is the synergies that will make Rochester great again.

Here’s the Vision: a scenic straight shot biking walking path right up the river to the

High Falls EcoZone and Recreation Area (including Zipline)

The Aqueduct / Graffiti Gallery is not a bug. It’s a feature!

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We’re great from
Aqueduct Park to
Andrews Street.
 But we need to be bold to connect from Andrews St to High Falls.
Hug the river, go under the Inner Loop, and under the train tracks.

and connect to
High Falls
Terrace
Go right around the
top of High Falls(!)

or use Browns Race

(Develop or
landscape this) Build paths and trials along both
sides of the River.
 https://www.tylin.com/en/projects/rge_station_5__central_avenue_dam

The Central Avenue dam is is a long row of 10-20 "sluice gates" each with it's own "guillotine dam". 

As a conversation starter, how about....

• routing bike traffic over the river, within the arc defined by the curved line of buoys above right.

• requisitioning the western-most sluice gate

• going through that (former) sluice gate, perhaps via a

• suspension-bridge hanging from massive highway infrastructure .

• If there is not enough headroom (I think there is)

◦ build a water-blocking retaining wall along the
◦ arc of the curved structure to lower the water level

This can be done. But it will take more-than-routine engineering, will, and creativity.
 We can do this!

and connect to
Go right around the High Falls
top of High Falls(!) Terrace

or use Brown’s Race

Help visitors bike and walk from the Amtrak station to High Falls (and Downtown).
 Think Big and Promote what we’ve got here!
(Don’t neglect the Riverway trails, El Camino, Rochester heritage trail, etc.)
 Think Big and Promote what we’ve got here!
(Don’t neglect the Erie Canal, the Genesee Valley Trail, etc.)
We need some really good visualizations of the
Recreation Area / EcoZone
and of the ambitious but do-able
route everyone will take to get to it.

And then we need to get everyone to say,

of course we should do this!
We need a pitch for everyone that will make the synergies happen (not a policy pitch for wonks).

Economics: done right, this would be a major tourist attraction and could be the one thing Rochester is most famous for.

Education: bicycle training, enculturation, and bike-industry training built into the RCSD curriculum.