I drove to Armstrong Park in High Point to ride the High Point Greenway and Bicentennial Greenway to Greensboro (a 20-mile out and back ride). A mile into the ride, at the entrance to High Point University, the greenway was closed between North Centennial Street and North Univerity Parkway for maintenance; it was due to open in mid-September but it is still closed. I attempted to find my way through the university to the other side but the university was holding its Fall Family Weekend and it was a mass of cars everywhere and hordes of people swarming everywhere. Finally, I got pissed off, gave up, drove back to Winston-Salem, ate at Mr. Barbeque, and rode the Salem Creek Greenway/Salem Lake Trail loop (a 16-mile ride).
Salem Creek Greenway fully open
The greenway closure at the ford and creekside sidewalk has been opened and the kudzu along the greenway has been mowed. There was a large running event held Saturday morning along the greenway and the trail. Coincidence?
You tax money at work
The city is spending bond money to replace the ground material under the equipment in the children's play area that was only built a few years ago. It is constructing new areas outside the main gate. It is building a new boat ramp, which involves lowering the level of the lake, which means the Salem Creek Greenway will be closed from the Reynolda Park Road bridge to Salem Lake Trail for months due to high, rushing water along the greenway at the concrete sidewalk and ford.
How much of the bond money is being spent on the actual greenway and trail. ZERO. Salem Lake trail is more like a well-used dirt road to a logging operation; it is rutted, the surface is washing away, there are areas of constant standing water and mud, areas where water constantly runs over the trail, exposed large rocks, ancient drainage pipes are completely clogged, etc. The greenway even has kudzu growing ONTO the pavement.
The six-mile Granite City Greenway in Mount Airy is always immaculate. It is always clean, clear of debris, and they have bridges over all the low-lying areas. The High Point Greenway has over a thousand feet of elevated trail over a rugged section of terrain. However, the Salem Creek Greenway has a sidewalk beside the creek at creek level and a ford used to cross the creek. Water flows over these areas most of the time and the area is impassable after heavy rain or when lowering the lake. But to be fair, the city may never fix the problems but it always apologizes for the inconvenience.
