Missouri Bicycle News

A Kansas City Star editorial endorses a regional trails plan and trails funding:

Steve Rhoades sees the potential of building trails in many different places. On top of levees. Near streams. Along abandoned railroad lines. Around lakes.

As a planner at the Mid-America Regional Council, Rhoades has long been one of the key forces behind extending the MetroGreen system of trails throughout the Kansas City area.

To be successful, though, he and other promoters must continue to be creative in raising money and energetic in pursuing their plans . . .

Trails remain extremely popular, especially with nearby residents. Supporters continue to press developers to include land for trails within housing subdivisions.

More trails should be constructed along streams as part of flood-control plans now under study in Kansas City. And the Katy Trail should be connected to the area’s pathway system.

Finding a fair way to finance a bigger and better MetroGreen system of trails should be a top priority for this region’s elected officials.

A few city officials on the Kansas side recently nixed a region-wide bi-state trails tax proposal. The Missouri version of the proposal passed but with the trails funding language stripped (mass transit funding remains). The companion bill in the Kansas legislature went nowhere last year but will be re-introduced in 2007. permanent link to article: "KCStar endorses regional trails funding"
posted by Brent Hugh at 11/27/2006 09:26:00 PM |comment on this article