Further to my previous mail, the gate work has now been completed. Since then, they have installed vertical poles in the center of the walk-thru gates. A determined owner of a small-ish motorcycle might be able to get his bike through by wiggling the handlebar round the center pole, but it doesn’t look like a slam-dunk, and he’d also be running the risk of a fine as the sign still says Road Closed, and the exception notice still only refers to pedestrians and cyclists being permitted. I’m not sure if e-mails to this list are permitted to attach photos…but if they are, you’ll see a photo of the gate arrangement attached.

Probably still worth keeping ones ears alert for engine noise, but it looks like the Department of Transport (DOT) have done a good job, and we should be better off on balance, as we don’t have to lift bikes over barriers. Clearly with this effort, the DOT are signaling that they are not planning on repairing Rock Store to take cars any time soon. And with the pandemic having destroyed the State finances, it probably won’t get onto their to-do list for a long time.

Taylor’s warning about skateboarders should also be heeded. There were five of them today.

Ride safely,

Mike

On May 11, 2020, at 11:06 PM, Michael Margolis <michael.l.margolis@gmail.com> wrote:

Workmen have been constructing new barriers/gates just inside the lower and upper concrete barriers. When they are complete, the concrete barriers will be removed.

The barrier arrangements consist of a wire mesh fence, with wide lockable gates to permit authorized cars and trucks to drive through, plus a narrow opening through which pedestrians can pass, and through which we will be able to ride our bikes, or walk them through if one prefers not riding through narrow gaps.

The good news…..no more having to lift our bikes over the concrete barriers.

The bad news is that the gaps as currently constructed are wide enough for motorcycles to get through. Possibly the workers will fit a low step over bar.At present the sign says that Rock Store is closed to motorized traffic and that pedestrians and cyclists may proceed “at their own risk”. (That refers to the few places where there were mud slides and the road is down to a single lane, and one place where the road is dirt…literally only for a few feet though). l don’t know if the Department of Transport intends to continue to limit access to motorcycles. If there are motorcycles with no cars, those guys are going to be riding even crazier than usual, and we’ll have to be very alert to what’s going on.

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