Comments and ideas we’ve heard so far from multiple engagement processes are summarized below.
Connectivity (walkability and bike connection between High Falls and Inner Loop)
Enhance Sister City Relationship
Solar-power implements
Educational programs, nature exploration, recreational activities
Linking residents in farther areas to a local bus route, ensuring sidewalks lead somewhere, etc.
Collaboration and unity within communities
Trail materials to be more natural, like stone dust
River Access
Bike from adjacent destinations to High Falls
There needs to be investment in the community, the bordering neighborhoods are predominantly low-income and would benefit from park programs and learning opportunities
Aesthetics of Bridge
Include playful elements and tie to the historical elements
Picnic
Event center
Separate trail use for senior visitors
Safety signs
Ecology Center
Active trail with letterboxing or geocaching
Universal design and inclusivity
Mural art to enhance community building
Native planting
Multi-modal transportation, bike access, trails, pedestrian access, cross-city programs
Gorge wall stair, elevator
Relaxing
Passive recreation, like yoga
Industrial history contributing to Erie Canal development
Slower car traffic
Address displacement concerns, address community skepticism, give the neighboring communities a sense of ownership
Wayfinding for all ages
Need off-street connector to High Falls
Foster environmental stewardship
Enhance community unity through multi language signs
Engage younger generations
Photography
Capitalize on views, water quality and safety issues
Seating along trails
Inclusive park that integrates nature, urban infrastructure and historic significance
Revitalize RoC waterfront
Loop trails with mile markers
Cleanliness
Planning for 8 to 80 yrs
Connect kids and adults to natural environment
Sense of belonging
Traffic control
Concern over gentrification and displacement
Drive infill businesses in disinvested areas
Educational programming of immigrant history, Hickey Freeman clothing company, geological history, Olmsted Parks, and railroad history
Interpretive signs
Year-round festivals and events
Amenities like fountains for visitors and pets
Signs should be multi-language
Focus on being environmentally friendly, make use of alternate energy and think about waste management
Artwork integration
Engage with those who don’t have internet
Sustainability and ecological stewardship
Community gardens
Butterfly garden
Speed control measurements
Native American trails
Separate bicycle and pedestrian paths
Equal access to river in all seasons; ramps in winter can be problematic
Shade
Prioritize pedestrian and cyclist traffic
Acknowledge and celebrate historic communities, buildings, resources, “history of sustainability”
Traffic safety and speed control + signage
Appropriate plants for dry shaded areas
Public transportation / trolley between city-wide destinations
Changing the public perception, introducing a policing presence sensitively
Beauty of nature
Improve Infrastructure, like shade structure, for future activities
ADA accessible pickup and dropoff areas
Integration into downtown, to the Inner Loop Project, etc.
Priority on learning opportunities including an ecology center
Accessibility and wayfinding that is inclusive of the large deaf and disabled population in Rochester
Blue lights
RTS access and need for buses to route to the site
Parking
Safe and welcoming access routes to the park from adjacent neighborhoods
Community-driven initiative to maintain park’s green spaces
Accessibility and safety for seniors
Promote neighborhood ownership through planting maintenance
Safety at lower level
Programming all year round
Connect communities breaking transportation barriers
Separate cyclist/ pedestrian/ tourist from vehicular traffic
Reclaim industrialized areas to connect people with nature
Early wins
Trail & benches
Pocket gardens
Clear debris from river
Cost to enter
Avoid impact vehicular travel on St Paul (cars and large trucks), pedestrian access from across the bridge
Study forest and bird communities
Re-activate former museum visitor center
ADA
Urban wildness
Bathrooms
Campground in the city for the youths
Cultural hub of year-round events and programs
Connect people to the water
“What would the gorge look like without human involvement?”
Serve diverse population