STEVEN MARK KURVERS p o rtfolio
RÉSUMÉ
Steven M. kurvers Contact
Objective
education
volunteer / community
4970 SW Landing Dr #304 Portland OR, 97239
Email: stevenkurvers@gmail.com Cell: 714. 496. 6766
To create and renew the ecology of our urban fabric by working with experienced professionals in the landscape design and sustainability field. Bachelor of Science Landscape Architecture, BSLA . . . . . . . June 2009 California State Polytechnic University, Pomona . . . . . . . GPA: 3.62/4.00 College of Environmental Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CUM LAUDE
Volunteer at METRO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2013 Worked with Robert Spurlock and Mary Anne Cassin of Metro and Jim Rapp of Parametrix to complete a series of graphics for the Westside Trails Master Plan. Peace Corps Volunteer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2010 - 2012 27 months of volunteer service completed, helped communities design and implement programs for environmental and economic sustainability. An Inescapable Privilege . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2009 Three month design studio focused on finding design and ecological solutions for marginalized communities in both Tijuana, Mexico and Duroville, California.
Related course work
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General surveying, soil science, 9 months of plant identification (woody/herbaceous/vining), horticulture principles and practices, landscape construction, computer applications in landscape architecture, professional practice.
Qualifications
experience
Proficient in, but not limited to: AutoCAD, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Sketchup Pro, Google Earth, GPS and GIS applications, Microsoft Office Trained in fine art, completing several painting, drawing, and general art courses.
Drake's 7 Dees. Senior Landscape Designer, Portland, OR . . . . . Jan. 2013 - Current Converted over 80 project leads into designed and built landscapes in 2013-15. As senior designer, I take lead on every aspect of the design/build process: from measuring/surveying property to design presentation to construction details to bidding/ sales to project management & construction administration. Well versed in all equipment, programs, and applications that lead to a successfully built product. National Park Service, Ecological Restoration, Yosemite National Park, CA . . . . . 2012 Assigned to aid in the restoration of natural ecological processes within Yosemite National Park at various project sites including Tenaya Lake, Dog Lake trail, and Tuolumne Meadows. Duties include: amelioration of degenerated and impacted soils, regrading topography, amending soils with natural organic materials, salvaging and redistributing native plant species, identifying and propagating native plant species, managing snags and fallen debris using machinery and related equipment. United States Peace Corps, Environment Volunteer, Morocco . . . . . . . 2010-2012 Assigned to work with cohorts at the National Park of Ifrane on various projects concerning the development of eco-tourism and land-use management within the Park. While living in the small mountain village of Zaouiate Oued Ifrane, my primary project work focused on: range-land management to combat desertification, agricultural and financial sustainability through the introduction of improved cash crops, soil quality and infiltration testing, education of farmers on best horticultural and agricultural principles and practices, identification and documentation of native plant species, trail mapping and marking through GPS and GIS applications resulting in eco-tour guide. Armstrong Garden Center, Sales Associate, Anaheim Hills, CA . . . . . . 2005-2010 Sales associate and public design consultant helping clientele find solutions to their landscape concerns through plantings, water features and hardscape. I possess a comprehensive knowledge of plant materials, soil science, & horticultural science.
Related experience Landscape design and consultation, land-use management planning, ecological and vegetative restoration, construction of hardscape, installation of irrigation systems, customer and client relations, writing, public speaking, grant proposal writing.
Awards / honors American Society of Landscape Architects . . . . . . . . . . . . . HONOR AWARD Presented by the Southern California Chapter in recognition of outstanding academic performance. Cal Poly Pomona, 2008-2009 Academic year.
Portrait of Castiglion Fiorentino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OPERA SEGNALATA Art competition, Tuscany. Piece housed in the city's permanent collection. “Ecco la nascita di un borgo medievale, che emerge dalla natura come un fiore un primavera — e porta vita con sei” -Oil and graphite on unprimed paper. Nov. 2008.
CONTENT
ID E O L O G Y
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S TUD IE S
C AL IF O R N IA
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MOROCCO
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Y O S E M ITE .1 3
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S A NTA M O N IC A .1 7 .1 9 .21
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PERU
L AG U N A M E X IC O
P O R TL AN D
IDEOLOGY
We study emergence, and the organization of physical space. We are the voices and the forces of amelioration— that speak without inflamation and act without tread. We are the unknown— the thankless effort, the tireless expedition, the relentless inquirer, the limitless mind. We are the procession after the precedent— the potential for prodigious affect. We are the proprietors of a destructively procured world and we are searching for symbiosis so that we may make amends.
STUDIES
Proposed germination rates for Escholtzia californica
yr 1
3 yr
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7 yr
yr
These forms of 2-D study become crucial in understanding abstract and conceptual ideas which form the basis of creativity.
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In order to study the interrelational tenets of topography, geomorphology and design as it exists locally, regionally or globally, it is necessary to reconstruct 3-dimensional space as conceptual study models to ensure that a design solution is not imposed, but fits naturally into the given environment. The model helps the design concept to reveal itself as a basis for rootedness and connection more thoroughly than working in 2D alone.
Behold; The birth of a medieval city, emerging from the landscape like a flower in spring - and the resulting life
using exposures to frame perceptions of time in the landscape
“A better integration and understanding of contemporary visual thinking in the early design process, with its direct and indirect correlation in project development and communication, could contribute significantly to this..... new way of looking, [which] probably lies at the very margins of our habitual conceptual frameworks, where the actual blending of different times in space produces a new dimension.� —Christophe Girot, vision in motion: Representing landscape in time
CALIFORNIA the poppy project The idea of art existing outside of buildings and as the landscape is a relatively new and complex understanding of many different natural systems and philosophies. Only since the late 1960's have artists begun to understand the roles that landscape and art share; captured in the Land Art movement. The Poppy Project is a similar type of understanding, yet it reaches further to include aspects of biotic restoration and regeneration in order to discuss the reconnection of Californians to the land. The Poppy Project retains the site specificity considered by artists such as Andy Goldsworthy while occupying the scale, color, and movement acheived in works by Christo & Jean Claude. The process is slow, and we shall start at the beginning with applications that cultivate the surfaces of urbanization; the corridors, thruways and transitory drosscapes left in the wake of our destructively procured landscapes.
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pacific coast highway
reclaiming california The concept connects back to the Spanish explorers who would, as tradition follows, sprinkle mustard seed along the El Camino Real to allow for a yellow road to guide patrons from mission to mission; the devastation of the invasive species seen every spring throughout the state. The Poppy Project intends to reclaim the land that they unintentionally mistreated by sprinkling the state's flower, the California poppy around roads and within transition zones to act as remedy. We will try to reverse the devastation by signifying the inverse of the yellow road so that we might reconnect with our Golden State.
MOROCCO eco-tourism Located in the heart of Ifrane National Park, home to the endemic Atlas Cedar [Cedrus atlantica], the small mountain village of Zaouiate Oued Ifrane is where I have lived, integrated, and worked as a Peace Corps volunteer from 2010-2012. Work is defined by various projects concerning the development of eco-tourism within the Park, ranging from preservation and education initiatives in order to help secure the potential for future eco-tourists, to pamphlets, brochures, and trail maps to promote eco-friendly tourism presently.
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‘Holy Corner of Caves’
Trail Maps The trail mapping booklet is designed to show hikers visiting the region where the designated trails and trail heads are located in order to cut down on bushwhacking. The maps also describe difficulty, duration, natural Parc National D’Ifrane springs, and scenic views as well as Azrou, Ifrane, Maroc provide a short abstract about the trail p 212.62145474 itself in order fto212.68060471 better guide the hiker. e
The poster for earth day 2011 was distributed throughout the city of Fes, Morocco in order to inform academics, students and citizens alike about an academic conference planned to discuss pressing environmental issues affecting the middle Atlas region. Professors spoke on various topics, mostly concerning research initiatives to combat desertification and over grazing.
stevenkurvers@gmail.com
Trail to the Cedars – 6.4 km / 2 - 3 hrs (one way) Level of difficulty: moderate — strenuous
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To see the Atlas Cedar—in all of its drowsy, robust majesty— living in its native soil is reason enough to make the rather laborious journey from the village. Pack a snack and water because this hike is an all day event, or pack a sleeping bag and camp out under the Cedars for the night. Either way, this is a one of a kind Cedar experience. Cedars above Zaouia
Vertical Profile (elevation / distance) 1700m 1650m 1600m 1550m 1500m 1450m 1400m 1350m 1300m 1250m 1200m
connected lage itself. he school, o the ne covered
1km
2km
3km
4km
5km
6km
Green Oak Loop Trail – 7.3 km / 2 - 3 hrs
The poster for earth day 2010 was distributed to residents of Idelsan, Morocco in order to call a town meeting to decide how to celebrate. The meeting, led by five peace corps volunteers, determined that we would put on a play about littering, have a garbage collection contest, paint a mural, learn about composting and organize tree plantings.
Level of difficulty: moderate
njoy near connected ahad and e down l spring.
start end
A beautiful day hike through a part of Zaouia rarely seen by most tourists. Start on the main road and walk down until you reach the dirt road where there is a small abandoned house (0.5km), make the left onto the dirt road and follow it for the duration of the trail. There will be many turn off’s along the path, feel free to explore, it’s easy to find your way back to the town.
nce)
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Zaghroun River Trail – 4.2 km / 2 - 2.5 hrs (to river’s extent) Level of difficulty: moderate - technical On a warm day it is recommended to hike up the river until you find your own personal swimming hole to spend the day by. It is possible to rock-hop up the river until you reach a waterfall that is impassable. WARNING: Don’t hike if chance of flash flood, only hike as far up river as you feel comfortable, some sections are impassable without getting into river—use caution! 8km
9km
e village. teau, the ents alike. ng about ed path
Personal Swimming Hole
Vertical Profile (elevation / distance) 1450m 1425m 1400m 1375m 1350m 1325m 1300m 1275m 1250m 1225m 1200m 0.5km
1km
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YOSEMITE ecological restoration In order to aid in the restoration of natural ecological processes you must first define what nature and preservation mean to a given culture. There is nothing in Yosemite National Park that isn't American. The concept of preservation and conserving the various biotic functions within an ecology is at its very heart rooted in American culture and was first pushed into action by our founding environmentalist fathers. I became a part of the American tradition of preservation, conservation, and restoration during my summer in the Sierras working at various project sites including Tenaya Lake, Dog Lake trail, and Tuolumne Meadows. My duties were were not nestled in an ornamental understanding of the picturesque, but embeded in the degenerated and impacted soils that I helped ameliorate, the topography I helped reshape, the native plant species I helped salvage and redistribute, the many species I helped to improve the functionality of a larger biotic system.
"There is not a fragment in all nature, for every relative fragment of one thing is a full harmonious unit in itself" - John Muir
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sustainability
PERU ecological planning Partnering with Green Empowerment, Soluciones Practicas and the Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies at Cal Poly Pomona, our student team was to evaluate existing land use practices [outlined in an assesment by Soluciones Practicas] within the Jequetepeque watershed in order to propose new strategies to help combat regional climate change. The project focused on working with communities residing alongside the La Cocha Huertas River to increase the availability of water for agricultural and forest activities through the efficient management of their watershed. Our team proposed a series of case studies that reolved in solutions to specific practical issues, and then expounded meaning through a series of abstracted artistic expressions.
case studies We used a series of case studies to frame our understandings of applicable solutions for the region, then applied the use of these systems accordingly to determine an overall concept for regeneration of the region.
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abstractions Once we had developed practical solutions and strategies to present to communities in the region which demonstrated ameliorative methodologies, we shifted gears, and tried to think of the place as pure abstraction in order to help communicate some of the more complicated ideas behind our practical solutions.
Peru: To ___
We built five models of the watershed and created five built images to accompany them. We also wrote five narratives that abstractly explain each of the five models/images. All five touch on a different ‘resource’ inherent to the region and aim at the explication of different realities for the watershed and its residents.
SANTA MONICA urban design Spring quarter of 2009 presented a unique opportunity for both students of LA and ARC as the first ever interdisciplinary design studio was offered at Cal Poly Pomona for fourth year students of each discipline. The project description called for a complex redesign of a 20 acre plot of land located in the heart of downtown Santa Monica and a presentation of these findings to a distinguished panel of professionals and city council members. Our team conceptualized and ultimately proposed urban-integrated agriculture as a way of postulating theoretical paradigm shifts currently being discussed under the umbrella of Landscape Urbanism.
agri-local urban-integrated agriculture for the city of Santa Monica
To bring productive and Palisades Agriculture Walk__Santa Monica demonstrative agricultural 100
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Santa Monica
systems to downtown Santa Monica by integrating vegetation into all aspects of vibrant city life; promoting sustainable living, local jobs, fresh foods, a sense of community and a distinct personality found only in Santa Monica.
AREA 1 - AGRICULTURAL WALK
Through the study of circulation patterns, specific nodes, points of interest & access, and existing figure/ground relationships our design team was able to align horizontal and vertical surfaces in a way that promotes ease of flow and accessibilty while inspiring specific imaginative moments. .15
Aireen Batungbakal
Quang Tran
Justin Wood
Steven Kurvers
reference map
10 Fwy
hotel space office space
4th st
colorado ave
civic space retail space main st
focus__1 focus__2 focus__3
ocean ave
agricultural walk adaptive re-use housing and retail historic sears building reappropriation approx. 1.8 acres of farmable surfaces restaurants and cafĂŠs integrated into walk specimen tree punctuation for congregation ocean front hotel district historic city hall approx. 3.2 acres of farmable surfaces production plots: 20 varieties of produce 21st century digital library a “Fresh Tasteâ€? taste testing kiosks production fields transit center proposed transit center retail integrated into vegetation high density housing units underground path leading to ag. walk proposed plan
LAGUNA beach beginnings
parking
beach beginnings In 2008 the Laguna Beach Beautification Council voiced their desire to redesign a number of street-ends located between Pacific Coast Highway and the ocean, running the length of the city. Naturally, these street-ends were also beach beginnings, so my team focused on further revealing this sense of place through our redesign. Our final design approach embraced all aspects of the beach beginning, creating a living system by utilizing rain & runoff waters on-site while finding connections between culture, material, beauty and utility.
The surf pier can be a viewing deck during surf competitions, a spot to scan for better breaks to the east or west, or just a place to take in the sunset.
A series of gardens intended for local residential use. The gardens are also the skeleton of the natural living system that will collect/use runoff & seasonal waters
Gaviota street will become a one-way street, directing trafic out toward PCH . .17
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one way access
load/ unload
The number of metered parking spaces has been minimized, just enough for guests of residents and lucky surfers.
Two proposed parking spaces specifically for loading & unloading and to allow surfers to run down to the pier to check conditions.
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pedestrian area
Designed to focus more on pedestrian activities and less on automotive activities by emphasizing the beach front through the softness of materials and plantings.
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GAVIOTA
locals garden surf pier
O C E A N
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0’-8”
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REFLECTIVE BAND day-light automated retractable bollard
Asphalt base 6x12” untreated wood
3’-0”
3/4” bituminous Setting bed 2” ASPHALT BASE 6” AGGREGATE SUB-BASE
GAVIOTA
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18”x18” stainless steel collar asphalt
PREPARED SUBGRADE
Decking inlaid in concrete
remote bollard
B-1 L-4
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A-1 L-4
2’ stone aggregate for drainage
o WOOD DECK
5’-0”
TIE STRAP PER FRAMING PLAN
1’-0” drainage
BEAMS PER FRAMING PLAN
k C-1 L-4
36”x24”72” Laguna beach sandstone blocks LOCAL BEACH SAND IMPERVIOUS MEMBRANE
Compacted aggregate sub-base prepared sub-grade
CC CONNECTOR
WD CONNECTOR
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CONCRETE POST PER PLAN
wood decking F-1 L-4 SAND & LOCAL COASTAL SOIL AGGREGATE FOR DRAINAGE AREA DRAIN
stone seating area
O C E A N
WEEP HOLES Retaining wall
RETAINING BOULDERS PERFORATED DRAIN
beach beginnings
SOIL TO REMAIN UNDISTURBED BOULDER TIE-BACK undisturbed soil mounds to encourage stabilization
Estuary & sand viewing area
PLAN & DETAILS
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MEXICO an inescapable privilege In the Spring of 2008 a design studio led by Andy Wilcox & Susan Mulley of Cal Poly Pomona, in association with the school of Architecture in Tijuana, Mexico developed design strategies that intended to address and solve a number of complex social & economic issues faced by marginalized communities of the Tijuana region. The ‘big idea’ was to create design solutions that would address these issues at different scales [community/family/individual] which could then potentially be implemented at different sites, improving the standard of life for those marginalized peoples.
guadua bamboo Green Production Fields: the use of vegetation to restore and regenerate a land and an economy. To use & eventually sell Guadua angustifolia, in quantity, as a strong and durable building material. The goal is to have a regenerative annual crop that can be cured, used, &/or sold to local and regional markets, becoming an industry. The production fields are simplistic in design, allowing for easy growth and harvest of the bamboo. Slightly raised (6”-8”) concrete beds, oriented in the same direction, are poured and planted with Guadua angustifolia culms which are spaced evenly at 60% capacity initially, 90% after three years and 100% after five years. The first harvest should take place roughly 8-10 years after planting, when majority of culms are 7-11cm in diameter. The harvest is then cured and treated and is then ready to be used for building or selling. Guadua then re-sprouts and is renewed and ready for re-harvest in 6-8 years. .19
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2 A New Type of Green Roof: the use of vegetation to support and sustain a smarter way of life.
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This simple design takes the concept of ‘green’ living to a new level. Utilizing green living bamboo by simply tying the leaves together to shade, cover, and protect a residence will mitigate temperature extremes by creating a micro-microclimate directly around the residence that will potentially alleviate energy consumption.
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Peace Through Superior Protection: the use of vegetation to secure and protect families and possesions.
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Relief from trespassing, crime and theft is an important component of residence, especially those within marginalized communities where these issues can be a true threat. The simple and direct function of the Guadua bamboo fence is to secure and protect what is most important.
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1> Shade Structure: A 100% organic shade structure for solar mitigation is 100% sustainable.
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2> Tying the Top: No other materials are needed to create this structure, just tie the leaves together. 3>Organic Insulation:: The result is a flattening of temperature spikes, cooler summers, warmer winters.
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4>Slope Stabilization: Adjacent soils will be stabilized, preventing structural damage in extreme weather. A>Sharp Edges: Securing property is as easy as keeping the Guadua bamboo posts razor sharp.
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B>Gated Entry: A protective practice since ancient times, it can also add a sense of luxury and privacy.
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C>Prospect & Refuge: Feeling safe can lead to a less stressful, more relaxing standard of living.
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D>Courtyard: enclosing space fosters a sense of pride and ownership, generating potential & possiblity.
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PORTLAND commercial & residential design / build Within a year working for Drake's 7 Dees I was promoted to Senior Landscape designer and have taken lead on over eighty projects over the past two and a half years. Dealing with everything from land survey, conceptualization, client relations, permitting, presentation meetings, sales consulting, project management, construction administration, as well as day to day drafting and design.
MOD ERN
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outdoors-in glass atrium
curtis residence SW 44th ave Designed throughout March and April of 2014 this project became a testament to our teams ability to work with high-end, high-maintenance clientele. The project was built in June of 2014 and has become an a uniquely engaging use of space not intended by the original architect of the home, John Storrs. Still the balance of spaces within spaces was captured and preserved within the work, along with the fundamental blurring of the concepts of outdoor and indoor, which Storrs himself toyed with throughout this home.
Equestrian trail
PORTLAND The equestrian trail uses essentially the same speci�ications as the soft-surface trail. In areas of high equestrian use where the trail corridor is wide enough, this trail type is designed to parallel the
westside trails mastertrail plan multiuser to provide a more suitable surface for horses and avoid con�licts with bicyclists and pedestrians. During the summer of 2013 I volunteered with Robert Spurlock of Metro and Jim Rapp of Parametrix to complete a series a graphics for the Westside Trails Master Plan, published by Metro in June The drawings a comprehensive look at the several An 2014. equestrian trailare paralleling a multiuser pedestrian/bicycle path is planned for the Westside proposed types of trails to be built throughout the 25 miles of new trails which will connect segment immediately the westside communities from the Willamette river to north Tualatin.of the Tualatin River (Segment 1). In portions of Bull Mountain (Segments 2 and 3) soft-surface trail sections may be designed to accommodate pedestrians, mountain bicycles, and horses.
For full publication see: http://www.oregonmetro.gov/westside-trail-master-plan
Figure 5 Multiuser trail with parallel equestrian trail
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Trail
Soft-surface trail
Shared roadway Shared roadway solutions, through the use of signing and street markings, route bicycle traf�ic to lower-traf�ic road surfaces. These lower-volume roads may not have sidewalks. Shared roadways are also used to provide accessible paved surface alternatives for all users in steeply sloped areas and to balance user demands on soft-surface trail sections. The illustration below shows one of many possible variations to shared roadway solutions.
Road bicycle traf�ic over Bull Mountain (Segments 2 and 3) and from the Lower Saltzman Gate to US 30 (Segment 6) will be accommodated by short shared roadway sections running parallel to trail sections within the power corridor.
Soft-surface trail sections are recommended along the Westside Trail where steep slopes and habitat preservation considerations make multiuser trails dif�icult to site. The narrower width and unpaved surfaces provide more options in routing and building trails to avoid adverse habitat impacts. This trail type is always associated with a nearby shared roadway solution to accommodate road bikes and to improve accessibility choices.
The Westside Trail proposes soft-surface trail sections in conjunction with shared roadway options for road bicycles in Segments 2, 3, and 5. These trails are expected to accommodate both pedestrian and mountain bike users and some equestrian use, with road bicycles directed to nearby streets. Westside Trail soft-surface pathways vary between four and eight feet wide, with surface treatments of soil reinforced with compacted gravel to improve trail durability and allow yearround use. The wider (7- to 8-foot) section may be used at intersections with roads and other trails to facilitate maintenance access and reduce congestion.
Figure 4 Soft-surface trail
Figure 6 Shared roadway
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