Perhaps it's just me, but I'm noticing a large uptick in unsavory folks milling around at the choke point for the detour between the bridge and Cedar LRT station. Oddly, the middle of the day seems quite popular. It occurs to me that squads can't patrol that little chunk. Just me?

I'd be calling 311 for sure.

goat path? I've seen alot of things on these here bike trails but never a goat.
it is a multi use path. and it's one in a neighborhood that has always had high foot traffic since long before there was a train or a bike path there. "savoryness" is a relative term, if you see something illegal or dangerous by all means call the cops. but it is a shared path, and it's springtime, people are going to be walking on the paths.

Dude, you totally missed the point. And the nickname of this stretch has been, for many years, the 'goat path'. I have no idea why.

I know Trailwatch has called that area in numerous times and apparently MPD knew what we were talking about when we said "goat path."

I believe this is the area being referenced:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5371809

Yup, it's been the goat path since I moved to Elliot Park in the late 90's. It used to be harder to access on both ends, and it was the only place to cross 35W on foot between Washington and Franklin. It has also always been a shady place.

It's much less shady since they cut down the "trees" that were growing there.

"Got them

I haven't utilized that route as much as I used to. Avoided it after most of that fucked up snow we received this past winter. The biggest problem I have had was with other bikes. ymmv.

I was once biking down the Goat Path just after sunset. No reason other than I was closer to it than the LRTrail. There were about 6 HUGE dudes standing around the path blocking traffic. One was doing pushups on the path. They were all in black, and I didn't see them until I was almost on top of them.

They let me pass, but I was mighty scurred.

I've had a few hassles along here lately, escalating.

Generally, there seems to be a population that feels that the divided portion over the bridge should be bikes to the street side, people on the sidewalk side, rather than the mixed use, stay to the right convention per the posted signs.

Clusters of males will block your way, and direct you to the street side, though it will put you in the face of on-coming bike traffic.

Often times it is like running a gauntlet. There will be a group in the midst of the bridge, who will divide along each side, restricting the space you have to pass through, and comment as you pass by, discouraging you from returning this way.

Their "suggestions" must be working as I see more bikes going the wrong way now, I'm sure just to avoid trouble.

Yesterday, I was stopped by a group of four: repeatedly directed to 'use the other side next time' by one, while another one kept yelling louder and louder for me to go, go away, and just disappear.

I'm hoping the construction is completed soon, but I don't feel safe going through the area any more, and will avoid it.

I hate going through there. I started calling it the Devil's Path after the references to the goat path.

Never heard it called the goat path, been know since the 60's (anti war days) as the
Ho Chi Minh trail. Notice guys hanging there also, they never bothered me.

And the reason its not called the Ho Chi Minh trail anymore is because A, that was racist and B, the majority of immigrants living in the area are not Hmong/and or Asian as they once were and are now East African.

Or was it called the Ho Chi Minh trail for any other reason other than Asians used it? I wasn't around in the 60's.

No it was not a racist thing. It was the Ho Chi Minh trail because it connected two parts of the WestBank (much now gone because it was taken by the light rail construction.) It was called that because the WestBank was a hot bed of anti- war activity and we were in sympathy with Uncle Ho. Now talk about Racists "the Goat Path seems to be a obvious racist reference to East Africans. You got it backwards. You apology accepted.

Yah, right. Not buying that excuse.

And since at least 1897 Goat Path has referred to "a narrow mountain track, such as is made by goats."

But thanks for pointing out that East Africans sometimes eat goat. It shows where your head is at.