The John Jay Community Trail Project has been a multi-year effort with trail clearing beginning in 2015 and building projects starting in 2016.
Current status October 2022: The effort is 99% completed with 11 of the 11 structures finished and open.
We have hosted SEVEN home meets since 2020. We have also held four John Jay Community Trail Races since 2018 on the course as it was built. The home course came in very handy with COVID restrictions in 2020 limiting the number of away meets and allowing us to host FOUR league meets including the League Championships in 2020.
The most recent meets in 2022 took place on the newly opened FULL COURSE (yay!) which it turns out is a fairly challenging race course.
We are currently working on Trail Signage to keep hikers, walkers, and runners on track. We are also gathering volunteers for WOOD CHIPPING on some of the gnarlier rootier sections of the course. Donations are open now for the “Wayfinder Fundraising” effort.
We may be building one more “bonus boardwalk” as a 12th structure. It is in an area that has only recently been deemed a bit of a muddy mess due to a drainage change since the initial trail plan layout was created in 2015. Stay tuned on that one. We will be in touch!
- See project overview page for background and project requirements.
- See History page for a deeper dive into the scope of the John Jay Community Trail effort.
Construction Projects & Status
The construction sites to date include:
Wetlands Trail Loop Section
- Bridge 1 – over river crossing site 1 (COMPLETED October 2017)
- Causeway – boardwalk between Bridge 1 and Bridge 2 (COMPLETED October 2019)
- Bridge 2 with attached boardwalk – over river crossing site 2 (Bridge COMPLETED April 2018, Boardwalk COMPLETED May 2019)
- Boardwalk 1 (COMPLETED May 2019)
- Boardwalk 2 (COMPLETED June 2019)
- Boardwalk 3-4 (COMPLETED August 2019)
- Boardwalk 5 (COMPLETED July 2019)
- Boardwalk 6 (COMPLETED July 2019)
- Note: the sites are numbered in the order they occur on the trail from the Pit Field up to John Jay Middle School
Frog Hollow Boardwalk
There is a solo boardwalk between the JJMS field and the Pit Field where the ground is saturated and always muddy. See original survey map included with this 2015 article for location.
- Frog Hollow Boardwalk (COMPLETED September 2019)
Final Link – Championship Bridge and Boardwalk
The Final Link Trail goes uphill 1/4 mile from the far side of Bridge 3 (#championshipbridge) up to the John Jay Contest Field, on the south side of the ravine. It traverses the school district-owned woods behind the Meadows Condominiums and the Orchard Square Shopping Center.
- Bridge 3 aka “The Championship Bridge” Construction completed in July 2020 after COVID-19 pandemic delay and work crew restrictions. Some detail & grading work remains on the south ramp approach.)
One boardwalk is needed on this final trail segment which was cut and cleared in September 2019 by our volunteer crew.
- Final Link Boardwalk (span and trail completed Spring 2022)
- Boardwalk is ~33 feet in total length including ramps on either side.
- We leveled a slope that is was at a 15º camber unsuitable for running.
- Materials (geotextile material, vegetation barrier, etc.) for lining the full path around the drainage area (weed blocking and erosion control).
- Retaining wall construction is underway 6×8 railroad ties over an 80-100 feet span to the east (uphill) and possibly to the west (downhill) of the Final Link Boardwalk.
- Current Status: trail grading work by KLSD O&M staff done spring 2021. Trail volunteers have nearly finished the Final Link boardwalk work. Still to go for 2022: retention wall work, trail lining & drainage work. Possibly need tree work as well.