By Joel Barnum, LCTA President
Just
the other day, my family and I were enjoying the afternoon at the McLoud Run
Park near the Cedar River Trail. As we were relaxing over a picnic lunch, we
watched the hordes of people using the trail on a beautiful summer day - there
were walkers, bicyclists, runners, and skaters sharing the trail. As we watched
a group of teenagers walking along the trail, we saw a youngster on inline
skates come flying around the corner off of
H Avenue. The teenagers were walking next to each other - the skater had
nowhere to go. As he tried to stop, he fell heavily, bracing his fall with his
outstretched hands. Ouch! The skater was wearing no pads and likely broke his
wrist.
So,
whose fault was this? The skater, for going too fast and not wearing a helmet
and wrist guards? Or the teenagers, for blocking the trail?
Even
though I posed the question, I don't think it's constructive to simply assign
blame. Instead, I think all trail users should follow a few simple, common-sense
guidelines to make the trail safer and more enjoyable for everyone:
q
If you are walking or running,
stay to the right and be alert to faster bicyclists and skaters behind you. If
you like to wear headphones, keep the volume at a reasonable level so you can
hear approaching traffic.
q
Bikers and skaters should warn
walkers and runners as they approach. A simple "Passing on your left"
will do nicely. If you have a bell on your bike, use it!
q
If you are biking or skating, slow
down as you navigate blind corners or places where people tend to congregate.
At
the LCTA, we are working with government officials to erect signs to help
educate trail users about safety. But I urge you, as LCTA members and
supporters, to set a good example for everyone else. Let's help make our trails
safe and fun places for everyone!
By
Keith Fletcher
The American Discovery Trail/Ford Adventure Team visited Cedar Rapids May 19th & 20th. Brian Stark, Don Dickinson, Stacy Leach and hometown girl Donna Loop were delightful young people who enthusiastically articulated the health, economic, educational and environmental benefits of trails.
Friday AM the team was introduced at Daybreak Rotary and were on Mike Grimm's talk show on WMT Radio. Friday PM they gave a program at McKinley Middle School. There were photo “ops” by the Cedar-Marion Chamber of Commerce and for Oak Hickory, Linn County Conservation mailer, and for the Hiawatha Newsletter. At the Cedar Valley Nature Trail trailhead, Dan Buechler accepted a certificate and an ADT bandanna as a representative of the Linn County Conservation staff. City council members Gary Schwab, Reta Saylor and Steve Armbrecht accepted a certificate & ADT bandanna for the trail town of Hiawatha. These are now on display in the city library.
On Saturday LCTA members met the Discovery team to ride bikes on the Cedar River Trail to Houby Days in Czech Village for breakfast. Cedar Rapids Streets Commissioner, Don Thomas, introduced the team. The team told the crowd about their mission. Certificates and bandannas were given to Commissioners Dale Todd and Don Thomas for the city of Cedar Rapids, to Supervisor Jim Houser, representing Linn County, and to Dan Baldwin, the director of the Czech-Slovak Museum. The team and LCTA members present were invited to tour the Czech-Slovak Museum.
On Sunday morning Mayor Lee Clancy and Don Thomas and 16 others rode the Cedar Valley Nature Trail to Center Point for a brunch arranged by Iowa Trails Council Executive Director, Tom Neenan.
Incidentally, two weeks later Mayor Clancey rode from Green Square to Hiawatha using the Cedar River Trail. This was for the Mayorathon, which promoted organ donations. Mayor Tom Patterson of Hiawatha and others rode the CVNT to Robins to pass the wand.
NATIONAL TRAILS DAY 2000
June 3rd - Booths were manned at CVNT Boyson road trailhead and at McLoud Park on the Cedar River Trail at J Ave NE. T-shirts and trail books were sold as well as LCTA memberships. Petitions for paving the CVNT were available. Thanks to Ed & Marlene Hayek, Ron McGraw, Steve Albrecht, John Kelly, Jan and Dean Barnum and Joel and Sasha Barnum for “manning” the booths.
June 4th - Bob Davison, Diane Handler, and Vic Dielschneider represented LCTA at Pinicon Ridge Park for the Spring Into Summer event sponsored by Linn County Conservation Board.
Thanks to Bob Davison for arranging for LCTA to be in the 4th of July Freedom Festival parade. Too bad the weather did not cooperate.
LCTA had booths at the Cedar River Trail opening at 8th Ave SE and at Sokol Park across from the Czech-Slovak Museum. They were manned by Barb & Roger Flint, Bob Davison, Fred Rogers, Gordon Gott, Jean Smith, Nancy Wichersham, and Vic and Leann Dielschneider. The event was covered by the Gazette, KGAN and KWWL TV. Tim Doyle plugged it on WMT radio as did KCCK radio.
Volunteers sat at the CVNT Hiawatha trailhead for a few hours on the free pass days of August 12th & 13th. Jeff Keiser sold five t-shirts.
UPCOMING EVENTS
· LCTA members will be reconditioning used bikes for donation to youths living in Osada and other low income housing units. Please call Sandy Colton at 378-8971 if you have any bicycle helmets to donate.
·
On
Saturday, September 30, LCTA will be sponsoring a fun and get acquainted bike
ride to Center Point. The depot museum will be open and sack lunches will be
available there for $1 each from 12 to 1:30. Please call 378-8971, so that we
can get a head count. (Cancelled,
due to weather.)
by
Ron McGraw
The major news about the Grand Opening of the Cedar River Trail (CRT) major segments is covered elsewhere in Trail Connections, so this report will focus on other developments.
Construction year 2000 is nearly history and we are looking forward to an
even better 2001 season. Still on tap for this season is work on extending the Cedar
River Trail northward to 42nd street and some more progress on
the West River Trail.
For 2001 we will be trying to complete both the North and South ends of the CRT. This will require Cedar Rapids, Hiawatha, and Linn County to all be very active and the Segment G funding to come through.
We also expect to complete the Cedar Lake Loop to give us much better access to the main trail and also to provide a comfort station. Should funding come through for the NE Connector, we could see that stretch under construction.
See below and the Trail Development chart for details (note items with a black border) of what is going on.
CEDAR
RIVER TRAIL
Segment B (Hiawatha) - LCTA is raising money to help with matching funds. About $4000 has been received.
Segment C - A Contract has been let to extend the trail from McLoud Place north to 42nd Street, and with some luck this could at least become usable this year. A hearing was held on the next leg north to Blairs Ferry Road and concerns about privacy will be addressed.
Segment E (downtown) - Opened! Still some RR-crossing work.
Segment F (South of the Czech museum) - Meetings continue to define the route south from Tait Cummins Park to half mile south of HWY 30. The hope is to complete this section next year.
Segment G - We are applying for funding to several grant sources and should know by this fall.
New Section of Cedar River Trail Open for Use
By Ron McGraw
During the last week of July, portions of the Cedar River Trail through downtown Cedar Rapids were opened with a formal ribbon cutting. In a ceremony presided over by Commissioners Don Thomas and Dale Todd the bright red ribbon was cut to mark the opening of the trail from McLoud Place NE south to the Tate Cummins Park in SW Cedar Rapids.
In their remarks, the Commissioners spoke about the history of the trail and the strategic importance of this route which has become part of the American Discovery Trail and which would locally link the Cedar Valley Nature Trail and the Hoover Trail when it is finally completed.
A Red Jacketed welcoming group from the Area Chamber of Commerce held the ribbon while the commissioners and two members from Linn County Trails association wielded the scissors to open the trail. Representing the LCTA was President Joel Barnum and Board member Ron McGraw. Most of
The Executive Committee and many members were present. Joel Barnum briefly told about how we have been a part of the rapidly growing trail movement in the city and in the surrounding area.
The origins of the trail go back to before 1991 when the Metro Area Trails Plan was put together by a far-sighted group of people who published what was then only a wish listing of lines on a map of where they hoped trails would someday become a reality. The Cedar River Trail slicing north and south throughout Cedar Rapids was the backbone of the system they envisioned.
With the trail opening, the paved route now extends seven miles when added to the portion opened earlier. This was a difficult and expensive route to develop since there were many major streets and much in the way of buildings and businesses to traverse. Along the way there are several museums, parks, shopping areas, and not the least of which is the Cedar River, which all contribute to the value of the trail. An important side benefit of the trail is the beautification of the riverfront. Before the trail, there were stretches where junk and trash had accumulated over the years. And there were places where erosion had taken its toll. Now these areas are cleaned up and the stretch along the river looks great. Where the trail goes by a landfill, much has been done and more will be done to improve the view.
Our thanks to Commissioners Thomas and Todd for their
leadership, to the City council, to the LCTA membership, and to all who gave
time and money to make the trail possible.
RIVER
LOOP
WEST RIVER TRAIL - The levee across the river from Quaker Oats is paved and the stretch through Riverside Park will get done this fall. Work in the Ellis Park area is on hold until a decision is reached about a water main expansion (which would run under the trail.). So, by this fall there would be two stretches open with a gap at the Police Station and at Ellis Park.
NORTH RIVER TRAIL - Work on this trail will be put off for at least a year because of route problems and the emphasis needed on the R-100 bypass trail in order to keep that project in the five-year plan.
WEST LOOP - Work continues to define trailheads required by IDOT. The LCCB has applied for funding for the trailhead in Morgan Creek Park and CR Engineering is deciding on the location of a trailhead near Twin Pines Golf Course. We continue to work on connector trail routes.
TRAIL SAFETY AND COURTESY
At the July LCTA Board meeting there was considerable discussion about the need to do more about making our trails safe and pleasant places for people to enjoy. Many suggestions were made and the decision reached that education is an answer and that the LCTA should be a leader in efforts to improve the situation. A meeting with the Cedar Rapids Commissioners most directly concerned will be held to coordinate efforts. Several examples were given of what is being done elsewhere, but none that couldn’t be improved upon. We hope to have a report on progress at the next Board meeting.
By Keith Fletcher
We
are continuing to make slow but steady progress on our plans to further extend
the GWT. In the last issue, we
reported that we had twice been turned down by the Board of Supervisors on our
request for an easement to permit us to cross-county-owned right of way to
access LCTA-owned property at various points where the right of way intersects
county roads. Finally, on our third
try, the Board unanimously approved our request! This approval was contingent on
our conducting and completing a survey of all of the LCTA-owned right of way.
The surveying work is essentially completed and the associated Plats of
Survey will be completed in the near future.
We want to thank all of you who contacted the Board on our behalf urging
them to grant this easement. Your
support was a great help! Other possible real estate transactions are still
being actively pursued at this time but it is too early to predict the outcome
of any of these negotiations.
The existing 3.2-mile trail is getting considerable use--primarily by
hikers but also by some horseback riders and mountain bikers. We all look
forward to the day that the trail can be given a firm all-weather surface to
better accommodate bikers.
We have made a special effort this year to further trim back trees and
other vegetation encroaching on the trail.
Gordon Gott, Roger Flint, Barb Flint, Dick Chelikowsky, and Jim Wing are
among those who have put in several hours of work on trail maintenance of this
type this year.
We hope that you enjoy the trail this coming fall season when the GWT is
especially scenic and colorful!