Connectivity Opportunity: Palm & Lakeside

/14 Comments/in /by

I’ve been testing the Google maps bike route feature and I’ll have a more comprehensive post on that soon. During one of my tests, Google sent me up Palm Lane to connect with Lakeside Dr. I’ve pondered this spot a number of times and have been meaning to ride up there and check it out. Google shows it as a continuous road, other mapping tools show it as not connected. The satellite view of the critical spot is obscured by trees. Palm Ln has a “Dead End” sign where it connects with Corrine. There are quite a few “secret” bike connections around town hiding behind “Dead End” signs, but the times I’ve thought about it, I was on my way somewhere and didn’t have the time to turn around and come back if it wasn’t passable.

Yesterday, I had the time and was thinking about it, so Lisa and I rode up there to solve the mystery.

There is, in fact, a path connecting the two roads. But someone has strung a metal cable across it. Here are some photos:

It would be possible for a skilled mountain biker to jump over the concrete curb, but we carried our bikes through. The cable across the path begs the question, “why?” Is this private property or is there some public right-of-way there? If there is right-of-way, what would it take to create a bike/walk connection? It would be useful (specifically at rush hour) to be able to cross Corrine at the Palm/Bumby traffic light.

14 replies
  1. Steve A
    Steve A says:

    I tried putting in my commute destination from my house, prompted by curiosity. It didn’t do too bad, though it picked a route that is longer, more stressful, and with a traffic stackup than my actual route. Still, it presented a far superior starting point for a trip plan compared to the traditional Google Maps. It only tried to route me down one nonexistent street.

    I hope people using the “streets that aren’t suited for cycling” feature doesn’t result in Google eliminating all my routes!

  2. Laura
    Laura says:

    Looking at the property Appraiser’s website both Palm Lane and the portion of Lakeside Drive from Maplewood Dr. to Palm Lane looks to be a private drive or easement. It might be a good idea to contact the County (this is unincorporated Orange County) since the roads are labled on the map to see if the right of way has been vacated or not. Looking at aerials the roads are paved, but it looks like the properties adjacent to the roadway own the road according to the parcel map and it’s likely an easement. If the City maintains both roadways, I’m thinking that access can’t be denied to cyclists.

    Here’s a link to the parcel info for the property at the SW corner of the intersection of the two roads. From there you can click on ‘show map’ and see the other parcels and how they are laid out.

    http://www.ocpafl.org/pls/webappI/get_parcel_master?pid=302218474800160&query_data=1111111P

  3. Eric
    Eric says:

    According to public records found here:
    http://www.ocpafl.org/disclaimer_map.html
    and after choosing a property, here:
    http://or.occompt.com/recorder/web/

    I am not an expert at real estate, but I have seen some of it.

    The property ownership situation there is a bit fuzzy. Palm and Oak were not deeded to the county even though a subdivision was made in 1951.

    A deed that I pulled, however, doesn’t describe the lot in a subdivided property, but by meets and bounds.

    The bottom line is that Palm and Oak seem to be private drives.

  4. Vincent
    Vincent says:

    As a semi-regular bicycle commuter from Baldwin Park to Florida Hospital, I know that route well. The cable has been there for years, and I just walked my bike over the concrete block. Over time it became a hassle and I now ride Maplewood to Leu to Merritt Park (and vice versa on the return). Getting across Corrine to Bumby on the way home is not a problem, as there is something of a center lane to wait if traffic is heavy.

  5. Keri
    Keri says:

    Laura & Eric,

    Thanks for looking this up!

    All,

    If there is a spot along your travels where connectivity would make a difference (removal of a fence, a short trail on an existing easement, etc.) in allowing you to use preferred roads, please drop me a note. I’m preparing a list of target areas.

    • Eric
      Eric says:

      Janice to Spring Lane.
      Property Appraiser talks about abandoned ROW, but I don’t see anything formally abandoning it.

      Downside is that Spring Lane is a private drive. The city bureaucrats hate it because it is not wide enough, but to be wider would require cutting down trees that have been there since at least 1925. Driveway to The Ripples house.

      I worked on this a little, but dropped it when I saw that the WP Ped and Bicycle committee wasn’t interested.

      Some people still wonder exactly how the Dinky Line tracks were disposed of . . . or not. Would take a trip to the old deed room, but I don’t know where that is now. Last I saw, it was in the basement of the “new” courthouse annex since demolished.

    • Eric
      Eric says:

      It’s a shame that the deep ditches all over Winter Park Pines can’t be piped. Then little finger trails could be run to the Cady Way Trail over the top of the pipe. It would make Cady Way Trail much more useful.

      Lots of ROW going to waste there.

      • Keri
        Keri says:

        That’s especially true of the suburban sections of Cady Way and Seminole Wekiva south of 434. Those trails would make much better transportation facilities if they weren’t isolated from the neighborhoods they pass. It’s insane when you have to ride on an arterial road to access a trail that runs past your neighborhood.

  7. NE2
    NE2 says:

    I walked through here today and there is no cable anymore. Instead a metal bollard has been installed halfway between the tree and the concrete post that the cable was tied to.

Comments are closed.