Land & Public Works

In August 2024, I submitted a proposal suggesting an SLRR underwater tunnel connection between the Heterocera Atoll, in the Cecropia region, and Bay City, in the Manyiminya region. That proposal was eventually declined after internal discussion by the LDPW, with Abnor Mole explaining several important concerns: the proposed route did not connect entirely through land owned or controlled by Linden Lab or the LDPW, the existing terminus points were not well suited for an underwater tunnel connection, and the route would require significant terraforming while potentially affecting older Linden and LDPW underwater content. 【 https://feedback.secondlife.com/ldpw/p/slrr-underwater-tunnel-connection-between-the-heterocera-atoll-cecropia-region-a】 This revised proposal is intended to take those concerns into account and suggest a more practical, less disruptive alternative. ## Proposal Summary I would like to propose a new SLRR underwater railway tunnel between Heterocera Atoll and Bay City, but with a different alignment and a different starting point from the 2024 proposal. Instead of attempting to connect directly from the existing SLRR terminus or from land not fully controlled by the LDPW, this revised proposal would start in Cecropia, on LDPW-owned land near the existing pipeline that runs toward the offshore oil platform. A new rail platform could be built above or alongside the pipeline area in Cecropia, using the existing industrial theme of the location. From there, a new public railway line could enter an underwater tunnel and continue toward Bay City, eventually connecting to the Bay City railway in Manyiminya, slightly south of the current ferry terminal. This would avoid destroying or altering the existing ferry terminal created by Michael Linden, while still finally providing a fixed railway connection between Heterocera Atoll and Bay City. ## Key Difference From the 2024 Proposal The main difference from the 2024 proposal is that this version would avoid relying on the private railway line to the west of Cecropia. The new line would not need to connect to that private line. Instead, it would be a new LDPW-controlled railway extension beginning from LDPW land in Cecropia, near the pipeline and oil platform area. This could address one of the most important concerns raised in 2024: the need for the project to connect through land that is fully owned or controlled by Linden Lab or the LDPW, rather than depending on privately owned land whose future status cannot be guaranteed. ## Cecropia Starting Point In Cecropia, there is already an industrial waterfront area with a pipeline leading toward an offshore oil platform. Image 1 shows the pipeline area that could serve as a natural visual and structural starting point for the proposed railway platform: https://www.flickr.com/photos/radioactiverosca/55456692473/ A raised or partially enclosed railway platform could be created above the pipeline area, matching the industrial look of Cecropia. This would make the new railway entrance feel integrated with the existing environment rather than imposed on it. This starting point would also avoid the need to heavily modify the existing SLRR terminus or force a connection through unsuitable land. ## Underwater Tunnel Route The proposed tunnel would continue underwater from Cecropia toward Bay City, following the upper red route shown in Image 2: https://www.flickr.com/photos/radioactiverosca/55455674582/ The tunnel would be designed as a railway tunnel only, separate from the private railway to the west and separate from the current road tunnel construction south of Bay City. The same image also shows, in red further south, the approximate position of the new road tunnel currently being built by LDPW, from the south of Bay City, near the Luna region. This shows that underwater or undersea infrastructure is already being considered in the area, and a rail tunnel could complement that wider transport network without conflicting with it. ## Bay City Connection On the Bay City side, the tunnel could connect to the railway in the Manyiminya region, slightly south of the existing ferry terminal. This is an important point of the revised proposal. The intention is not to remove, replace, or damage the existing ferry terminal created by Michael Linden. That terminal is part of Bay City’s transport history and should be preserved. By placing the rail tunnel connection slightly south of the current ferry terminal, the ferry infrastructure could remain intact while the railway network gains a new fixed connection. This approach would respect the historic and existing LDPW work in Bay City while still expanding the public transport network. ## Why This Proposal May Be More Feasible This revised proposal may be more feasible than the 2024 version for several reasons: It starts from LDPW-controlled land in Cecropia The route would no longer depend on a private railway line or privately owned land west of Cecropia. It avoids altering the existing ferry terminal The connection in Manyiminya would be placed slightly south of the current ferry terminal, preserving Michael Linden’s original build. It uses an existing industrial theme The Cecropia pipeline and oil platform area already has an industrial character, making it a suitable location for a rail platform, tunnel portal, or service structure. It creates a new public railway connection without taking resident land The proposal is intended to avoid any need for eminent domain or resident land acquisition, which was one of the key concerns raised by Abnor Mole in 2024. It complements current infrastructure development With the current road tunnel construction beginning south of Bay City, near Luna, this proposal could form part of a broader and more coherent transport vision for the area. It preserves sailing routes better than an above-water causeway As noted in the 2024 discussion, an above-water causeway would create disruption for sailing over a long distance. An underwater rail tunnel would avoid that problem. ## Suggested Design Concept The Cecropia end of the tunnel could be designed as a small industrial railway platform or service station built above the pipeline corridor. The tunnel entrance could be partly hidden within an industrial retaining wall, pump house, maintenance shed, or concrete portal structure. This would allow the railway to enter the underwater section naturally, without requiring major visible terraforming. The underwater section could use a simple LDPW rail tunnel style, with occasional viewing windows, emergency alcoves, or maintenance details if performance and land impact allow. On the Bay City side, the tunnel could emerge south of the Manyiminya ferry terminal and connect into the existing Bay City railway system through a short, carefully aligned public rail extension. ## Benefits This project would provide several benefits to Mainland travel and exploration: A direct public railway connection between Heterocera Atoll and Bay City. A new destination and travel experience for SLRR users. Better integration between historic Mainland rail infrastructure and Bay City. A practical alternative to the never-completed train ferry concept. Preservation of the existing Manyiminya ferry terminal. No need to connect through the private railway west of Cecropia. Less disruption to sailing than any above-water bridge or causeway. A new LDPW-built transport landmark that could become a popular Mainland attraction. ## Conclusion I understand the reasons why the 2024 proposal was declined, and I believe those concerns were reasonable. This revised proposal is intended to provide a more practical alternative that avoids the main problems identified at that time. By starting from LDPW-owned land in Cecropia, using the existing industrial pipeline area as a natural platform location, avoiding the private rail line to the west, and connecting to Bay City slightly south of the Manyiminya ferry terminal, this version could offer a cleaner and less disruptive way to finally connect the Heterocera Atoll railway with Bay City. The goal is not to replace Michael Linden’s ferry terminal or disturb existing historic infrastructure. The goal is to preserve that work while adding a new public rail connection that strengthens Mainland transport and gives residents another reason to explore both Heterocera and Bay City by train.

At the moment, South Sansara has almost zero protected coastlines, except for a few around the rentable "Elements" regions near Bellisseria. On the World Map, Sansara already appears to have such a coast, but it actually doesn't. The entire coastline is overdeveloped with private parcels and ban lines. No provision of a Protected Waterway was ever made. Boat-owning parcel owners on this faux "coast" are basically trapped within their own parcels with no direct access to open seas. A southern coastline would give the Snowlands regions full north and south accessibility to boats and aircraft. Chamonix City could be encircled with a perimeter of protected water channels/regions, while allowing space for Chamonix City to expand further, should it wish to do so in the future. A southern coastline would link to existing protected coastlines north of Chamonix City that extend further north along the Snowlands, the Vehicle Testing Sandboxes, to Nova Albion, Bay City, the ANWR Channel and Heterocera continent. Please consider building Sansara a fit and proper southern coastline, something it has never had for the last 23+ years and is long overdue for.

This feedback is in follow-up to my recent support ticket regarding the possibility of expanding navigable waterways across Mainland. In the reply to my ticket, I was encouraged to submit locations through Feedback where expanding waterways might be appropriate. Jeogeot is the first continent I am trying to explore for this purpose. I attempted to travel around Jeogeot by boat to identify specific regions where waterways are blocked or disconnected, but I found that this is an issue across much of the continent rather than at only a few individual locations. In several areas I tried moving my boat across land in edit mode so I could continue exploring from the next available waterway, but I was not successful. I also had difficulty finding public locations where I could rez my boat, which made exploring the existing waterways even more difficult. From what I have been able to explore so far, Jeogeot would benefit from considerably more connected navigable water. Where Linden-owned or protected land makes it possible, I would like to suggest reviewing the continent for opportunities to create or connect waterways and to add more public boat rez locations. Even relatively small connections between existing bodies of water could open up much larger boating routes and make Jeogeot much more accessible for boating and exploration. I have also attached an example image showing one area where the waterways are blocked or disconnected. This is just one example of the broader issue I encountered while trying to navigate Jeogeot by boat.

For the past 21 years the intersection in Honawan and Tompson has been less than optimal, as it is very close to the region crossing. It is possible to turn right without entering Tompson, and it works the other way as well, but only with smaller vehicles, otherwise you need to enter Tompson and then cross back to Honawan because large vehicles can get stuck on the high curb. There is enough space on the protected land parcel for an open right turn on this roadway. If you could replace the curb at https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Honawan/200/252/109 with a flat prim, it would be a quick and sufficient solution so that we could make the turn without having to cross into Tompson and back to Honawan, or getting stuck on the curb. Thank you in advance.

Zindra is a wonderful continent to boat on but there is no way to circumnavigate it. In particular, the south east corner has private land upto the world and and some of the land owners don't allow passage. Navigable water, shown on the areas marked on this screen shot https://gyazo.com/ffc3fbe6e2610a7109dd52e8cd164d72 would provide passage. Also on the south east and east sides. https://gyazo.com/b98159452cccbda561c9cdbd5bd8ad18

Winter Wonderland's older original regions were kept open all year round. However, the present newer versions are closed for most of the year, except when it's winter time in the northern hemisiphere. But the people in the southern hemisphere have their winter in June, July and August. Southern hemispherans don't have the joy of accessing or using Winter Wonderland during their winter time, which is unfair. The northern hemisphere bias in Winter Wonderland (and Bellisseria) is both absurd and discriminatory. Please keep Winter Wonderland open during the entire year, as it once was during its previous incarnation. It's proper and fair to do so.

Zindra roads look ike ice or glass and it's quite terrible. I'll be glad to volunteer for this if need be.

Belli is great. It is beautiful and the houses are fantastic. It's been well built and everything about what it is, is on point. But, the thing that makes it not an attractive option to many users is it is just one vast neighborhood for premium members. The lack of communal places (I know there is a few like the fair grounds, but they are very few and far between) and the repetitive nature of the sims with nothing but houses is not an attractive option to a lot of people who have premium (like myself). At this point we have more houses than people interested in them and there are plans for a LOT more sims and subsequently houses to be added to Belli over time. I do not think adding MORE housing to Belli will increase premium memberships. Where the real opportunity lies is in land sales on Mainland in my opinion. If we could get Gaeta I finished and connected to mainland, then get Gaeta II, III, IV, done as well with nice roads and waterways there will be a ton more interest in that I feel like, than in living in the vast repetitive suburbia that is Belli. If we aren't going to maintain things like Bay City (which I personally feel is one of the best mainland cities in SL) then I feel like we should be given more space, more land, more roads, to make fun communal spaces and activities for everyone. If you look at mainland, especially by the roads, we as the users have made so many amazingly fun places that are for everyone to use, and THAT is what I feel like will bring in new users and new premium accounts. More unique and up to date places to come together as a community and have fun! I know the point and purpose of Belli was to entice people in to getting premium memberships and bring in new users with how gorgeous it has been built. But I feel like we are at the overkill point of that project, and what will REALLY drive more premium memberships and more new users is more content made for everyone's enjoyment rather than a dwelling space. Give us the Gaeta continents and let us make them fun using all the new tools for creation at our disposal. Make the roads and waterways with vehicles in mind as well, and I can almost guarantee there will be increases in premium accounts and new users.

Maybe "urgent" about the parcel availability at the moment. The Zindra-road-network have only 1 connection from North to South. This wont change with the new lands at the South-East and wasn't with the fresh rolled out at South-West. (see "Roads NorthSouth"). I suggest a "Underwater-Tunnel" connection between Chinstrap ... to the ocean-rezzzone on Linkous ... to the road at McFarren/Novarez ... to the town-road network at Wendersley/Donathan. (see "West enhancement"). At the moment the parcel on Chinstrap isn't shown as reserved, so it is a bit urgent! Part (1b): At the road end on Chinstrap, the road can gone East down to the ocean and go into a tunnel (glass-tunnel, as like on Belli - them look matching futuristic), making a turn to North and going tough the public land on Popke and Gatcharl. At Gatcharl the ocean turn to be less deep, so it can be digged into the ground (no more glass). Part (1b, too): At Linkous is a rezz-zone. This could be enhanced to a small, sandy island, where the tunnel gets back to the surface ... "Parking Lot", some beach deco, small pier (boat-rezz) ... and back down under water. The Tunnel can going in 45° angle trough Tashina and Nine (not as I drawing it) to turn then straight North at McFarren. Part (2b): At McFarren is a "Road"-parcel on the beach, but the Tunnel can get at the normal Beach back to the surface with a road up the Hill to the existing road. On the other side of the existing road it get back down below the water. Part (3b): The Tunnel can go North at Novarez, then 45° on Desantos to Conroy and turn straight up North to connect at Wendersley/Donathan to the regular roads. This concept takes just a small piece at the new Sims for a road (barely it mit work also "half-half" on the small stripe at Popke). The whole rest is all public lands and takes no additional space. It is adding a 2nd North-South connection. It connects 3 complete different roads and includes 1 rezz-zone. Also it adding 2 attractions: Tunnel-build ... and a new, small island at the rezz-zone.

The menu hasn't been on my favorite bench for a few weeks now. Sit down works, but the menu for switching positions is missing. On the other hand, everything is okay on the bench north of it. Maybe reset? - Thank you!