I though I had read something about a greenway being put in. That would provide a pedestrian/bike link. I could be wrong.
There is a greenway master plan that shows a future trail from Ccrabtree creek, along Big Branch up to Eastgate park. It runs through Kaneâs development, and I think Kane has plans build it through his section. But will be mostly useless until the city can extend it across the beltine down to Crabtree.
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Culvert under 440 wouldnât be too hard to construct. I prefer greenways to always go over so you can have a nice looking ped bridge but whatever gets it done
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I always prefer the alternative that best matches with topography.
If the surrounding ground is low, and youâre crossing something thatâs high, then a tunnel.
If the surrounding ground is low and youâre crossing something in a valley, cut, or trench, then a bridge.
If the ground is all level, then I prefer whichever option involves fewer steps / a shorter ramp, which is usually a tunnel.
In this case, though, I believe theyâre planning on running the greenway together with the Barrett Drive/Quail Hollow Drive connector on a bridge shared with cars.
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My bridge reasoning is purely aesthetics / creating the vibe and atmosphere for the area.
When itâs the tunnel people may not even know itâs there. When itâs bridge, you may capture people who are like âhey thatâs pretty cool! Let me go thereâ or even out of towner passer-bys may be like âthat Raleigh place sure has some nice bike / ped infrastructureâ
But other than that, cheaper is better.
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I can see your point. Tabaco Trail overpass in Durham is a great example, as is the Greenway trail going across 440 at Wade.
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Personally, when I am sitting at the bottom of a 50â climb to get up-and-over a bridge, Especially if itâs a part of my commute, or if I have my kids with me saying, âcome on dad, do we have to??â , then I am very inclined to disagree that atmosphere or creating a vibe is really worth the extra trouble. Itâs never pleasant to linger on a bridge over a highway, either, because itâs just so earsplittingly loud up there.
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Very fair points there!
For some reason I actually love the feeling and rush of standing over a highway and just watching and listening to the traffic go by. I know, Iâm weird lol
I honestly just love sounds of the city. It may come from going to New York and Boston so much as a kid.
Hopefully with the connector bride that houses the trail theyâll make it more of a parklet / signature bridge with extra wide buffers and vegetation rather than the greenway feeling like a double wide sidewalk.
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With this location right in the middle of our 2nd biggest city district I could envision a beautiful bridge with some extra cantilever features and night lights sort of like this. 
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Ironically, on our many trips back home to NWNC, when we drive back through Durham on 40 I always see several folks standing on the ATT bridge watching traffic. So maybe youâre not as weird as you think you are haha
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ATT bridge is a good place for a bridge because it spans from a high ground to high ground, over the highway which is lower. The climb from the Southpoint side is gradual and doesnât climb very much, and there is literally no elevation difference on the north.
Contrast that with the climb to the bridge from the Art Museum to House Creek. Itâs a 60â climb from the west or northeast, or a 30â climb from the southeast. Or the bridge from Marla Dorrel Park to MacDonald Woods Park in Cary - a 40 foot climb on the Dorrel Park side, and a 30 foot climb on the MacDonald Woods side.
Are bridges neat - sure - and they can be attractions in their own right, but they can also detract from the overall experience of a greenway as a whole. Do you get a few people coming to visit the bridge to see the view, sure - but you also get fewer people overall using the greenway because of how much work it takes to climb the hills. People avoid hilly greenways, for real - Iâm not making it up. The flatness of the trails that follow the rivers and creeks, and of the Tobacco Trail, are a big part of what makes them so popular.
I also understand that digging under existing highways can be challenging, and in that case a bridge may be the only option. But all else being equal, having a solution that fits the topography is the number one priority to me.
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And if youâre a cyclist using Strava itâs fun to see how fast you can go up it. My record from bottom to top is 58 seconds. 
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Are you talking about one from North Hills down to Anderson via Six Forks Rd? Iâve walked up that area and the sidewalk could definitely use some improvement.
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There is so much more that goes into that than youâd think. Not only the two developers agreeing on the plans but coordinating with the city, state, and federalis. I agree itâs optimal but donât count on it
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The one I see follows big branch creek. Itâs near Anderson but then would go north across the beltine, not following six forks.
The walkable Raleigh plan for midtown has this information: https://cityofraleigh0drupal.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/drupal-prod/COR22/MidtownStAlbansExecutiveSummary.pdf
Edit: A better starting point to learn about the plans for the St. Albans-Midtown are is here: https://raleighnc.gov/midtown-st-albans
And from that plan, hereâs my personal holy grail of cycling happiness. With this connector I could ride a hundred miles if I wanted to without every encountering a car (well, almost):
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Iâll drop this here, but I think this is going to have a similar draw (different demographic) that Ikea has for the region those exist drawing people from all over (not exactly an attraction, but similar draw?). This is going to be a 3-story showroom essentially with a restaurant and other amenities to help consumers visualize themselves with the respective furniture/pieces in their lives. Grab a bite from the restaurant and enjoy it on a dining room table youâre considering. Thereâs one in ATL that @atl_transplant may be familiar with.
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Never been! But always passed it and wondered what kind of insanely priced stuff do they sell in there. But definitely agree, wonât bring in the sheer number of people IKEA does but itâs definitely a destination shopping place.
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Definitely looks cool. I know the one in Boston caught my eye enough to wander around inside, and it was pretty fun just experiencing it. And I didnât feel out of place there, because I knew deep down that I could indeed afford some of their furniture (if I took out a second mortgage on my house).
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I like to look also, then search the Interwebs for similar looking furniture at 1/10th the price, then take out a 2nd mortgage for that piece.
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