Another phase of the Community Trail project will soon be under way. This phase will complete the first park to park connection in the City-wide project linking the Ritz Amphitheater with Paradise Park. The goal is to complete the inner downtown loop segment of the trail in the near future, allowing for multiple modes of transportation to have easy access into the heart of downtown.
“Trail Phase 1A will extend from The Ritz Amphitheater through Stevens Street and the Trinity Anglican Church parking area,” said Eve Geyer, Project Manager. “We are very fortunate to have such great partners in our City, because the cooperation of our downtown businesses help make projects such as this possible.”
Geyer said the Trial will continue up West Jackson Street to Victoria Place then run east to connect to an existing trail at Lester Street, linking the Ritz Amphitheater with Paradise Park. “This phase of the project will take roughly 90 days to complete with minimal impact to traffic.”
“We are very excited that the vision for the Community Trail is being realized with the first park to park connection,” said Brian Herrmann, City Planner. “While many sections of the Community Trail are in place, this will be the first section to be completed that will fully connect two of our public park areas.”
Multi-use trails are designed to allow pedestrians, bikers and other non-motorized methods of transport to move about safely. The Thomasville Community Trail will ultimately provide 14 miles of off-street trail system throughout the city. “Beginning at the Ritz Amphitheater, the ‘inner loop’ is a five mile, eight to 10 foot wide pathway that will connect Paradise Park, Cherokee Lake, Thomasville High School, the Scholars Academy campus and MacIntyre Park, before circling back toward the heart of downtown,” said Herrmann. “A series of spurs will branch off of this loop, providing links to destinations such as Thomas University, Remington Park, Northside Park and Weston Park.”
Herrmann said that the long-range vision for the Community Trail is that a number of the City’s parks will serve as trailheads, with each facility providing a gateway to the larger network and amenities such as restrooms, water fountains, and bicycle fix-it-stations. For now, residents can enjoy the sections that are completed, with new construction beginning next month that will provide connection for many of these segments. The end result will increase recreation and tourism and provide a safe route to schools, parks and other neighborhood amenities.
This phase will add another 1.5 miles of multi-use trail between Cherokee Lake and The Ritz Amphitheater, passing through Paradise Park. “People that currently exercise the one mile trail around beautiful Cherokee Lake will now have the option to walk or jog Downtown and back as well,” Herrmann adds.
For more information and updates on the Community Trail, visit www.thomasville.org.