Central Park - A Peaceful Inner-City Sanctuary

I moved to Bloomington two years ago and walked the Nine Mile Creek corridor (Central Park) for the first time last year. I entered the park at the 106th Street entrance and as I walked down the shaded inclined path, I immediately felt that this inner-city park had something special to offer. That something is a peace of mind that allows me to leave the rest of the world behind and focus on the natural beauty that the park has to offer. As I walk the narrow valley path I feel enveloped by the trees that are so close to it while enjoying their shade. The peacefulness of the park allows me to enjoy the songs of birds and the sound of the stream as it flows. The bridges were beautifully designed and the meandering stream is a lesson in earth science. In many ways, Central Park is my sanctuary in this complicated world.

That sanctuary may be threatened though as I am hearing rumblings that a bike path may be added to the walking path or placed somewhere else within the park. I can't begin to imagine the level of destruction that would have to take place to accommodate bikes in the park as the current path would have to be widened and much of it straightened if dual purpose walk/ride. There are areas where the current path is bounded by the stream and a hillside. How much of that hillside would have to be destroyed to widen the path to accommodate bikes and then be further desecrated with the placement of a retaining wall. The addition of bikes would no longer allow me to let my two year old granddaughter walk ahead to explore the park as her safety would be in jeopardy. People that currently walk their dogs would no longer be able to relax as they would have to constantly be vigilant for bikes on the path. I can see eliminating invasive species, rebuilding stairs, making areas of the park ADA compliant but the addition of a bike trail would ruin the refuge I seek and enjoy.