Quarterly Newsletter and News Articles

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
10/24/2007

Contact information:
Dr. Brent Hugh
Executive Director
Missouri Bicycle Federation
876-695-6736
director@MoBikeFed.org


BOONVILLE MKT BRIDGE RULING DISAPPOINTING
Removing Boonville Bridge threatens legal status of the entire Katy Trail


Today the Missouri Court of Appeals issued a ruling denying that the state of Missouri has any property right in the Boonville Lift Bridge and allowing the Department of Natural Resources to proceed with a plan to allow Union Pacific to remove the bridge.

The Boonville Bridge is part of the Katy railroad corridor.

"It is disappointing that the court does not recognize what Raye Reynolds, the official who signed the Katy Trail agreement for the MKT railroad, and three former DNR directors, including Frederick Brunner who signed the Katy Trail agreement for DNR, all know," says Missouri Bicycle Federation Executive Director Brent Hugh.

"The Katy Trail agreement gives the state two specific rights in the Boonville Bridge. The first one gets all the attention--the right to use the Boonville Bridge as part of the Katy Trail if certain conditions are met.

"But the second right is far more important. This is the requirement that the railroad leave the bridge in place 'for transportation purposes'.

"This second right is very is important, because in order to retain its legal status as a federally protected rail-trail, the Katy Trail must remain connected with the nation's active rail network."

By removing the bridge and abandoning that section of railroad corridor, one of only two connections to the active rail network in that 160-mile segment of the Katy Trail will be severed.

"If the Boonville Bridge is removed, the State of Missouri can take certain legal steps to reduce the negative impact on the Katy Trail and maintain the entire corridor with the legal protections of federal railbanking law," says Hugh. "We strongly urge the state to take those steps."

Analysis of the legal issues surrounding the Boonville Bridge and the Katy Trail:

http://mobikefed.org/2005/06/removal-of-mkt-bridge-at-boonville.php

Original documents, including Katy Trail Interim Trail Agreement, Union Pacific's "Consummation of Abandonment", and the recent court decision:

http://mobikefed.org/2005/06/katy-trail-interim-trail-agreement-and.php

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The Missouri Bicycle Federation, founded in 1994, represents the interests of walkers, runners, trail users, and the more than 2 million Missourians who bicycle regularly. Through its network of affiliated clubs and groups, MoBikeFed represents over 15,000 Missouri citizens. Find out more or join the federation at MoBikeFed.org.


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