Connection would unite Kent, Musketawa and White Pine trails.
Friday, May 6, 2005
By Howard Meyerson
Grand Rapids Press Outdoors Editor
A bicycle trail connecting Kent Trails with the beach at Millennium Park is expected to be constructed in June, according to Kent County Park officials who say they had initially hoped to see it by June 4, National Trails Day.
"Originally we thought we could do it by June 4, but that's probably pushing it," said Roger Sabine, the director for Kent County Parks.
Sabine said progress on the trail segment got delayed by the need to find a safe way to get Kent Trail riders and skaters through the interchange at Maynard Avenue, where the big trucks roll.
"We want to get it done as soon as possible," Sabine said. "It's likely to happen in June sometime. It will be an attractive ride into the park."
That decision and another to limit the length of the trail for now, has area trail planners and grassroots trail supporters dismayed. Most are glad to see the segment built, but had hoped it would go further.
"I'm disappointed," said Jean King, the president of the Friends of the Walker Highland Trail. "I know if they'd build it, people would come."
King and her group have been working with the City of Walker on its long-range plan to build connecting trails through the city that would link Kent Trails with the Musketawa Trail.
Another proposed trail in the plan is an east-west running trail referred to as the Grand-Walk Trail, a prospective partnership arrangement with the city of Grand Rapids. Its route would run along the course of a new Grand Rapids sewer line connecting Richmond Park with City Central Park in Walker and the Musketawa Trail. That link would close the loop and create an integrated network of trails.
The Millennium Park link was to be the kick-off connection -- a symbolic segment that might stimulate public interest and accelerate action. Area planners say they thought the trail would be built through to Butterworth Road, where the City of Walker's trail would begin.
"The connection between Kent Trails and the park is essential," said Frank Wash, the planning director for Walker. "It's an important piece of the puzzle. But it is news to us that things are changing."
Sabine, who heartily embraces the overall concept of connecting the trails, communities and regions, said the decision of where to expend money and manpower was a matter of working with "knowns."
Today there is little bike or pedestrian traffic coming into the park from Butterworth Road on the north. Most of it comes from Kent Trails on the south. The new trail will bring people as far as the beach and ponds in the park.
"Once the northern section takes shape more, we will bring that trail between the entry drive and the beach and move it north to Butterworth," Sabine said.
"Or, if Walker starts building quickly and develops trail that dumps people into Millennium, we will make sure that there is a safe route into the park.
Scott Conners, the city engineer for Walker, says it will be awhile. The city has no money for trail projects. The planning vision for Walker's trails took shape in 1998, after several years of community discussion. That talk led to the formation of a Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee followed by the formation of the local friends group.
Conners called the proposal an ambitious five- or six-year plan to connect the trails with parks, schools and shopping districts in the city. It's cost would run into the millions of dollars. But he also acknowledges that hard fiscal times will slow things down.
Which is one reason he recently asked the Grand Valley Metro-Council to put the trail project on their priority list. The metro-council is the conduit for federal transportation funds for such projects.
"The issue here is that the White Pine, Musketawa and Kent Trails are all dead in Walker and we have a big void," Conners said. "But we've done a lot of homework to get things ready to go."
Wash says "the private sector is going to have to step up to the plate." Local government no longer has any money to build these kinds of projects. It is a return, he said, to how things used to be in America.
"Look at Central Park in New York, the plan for Chicago or San Francisco and you find they were all privately funded projects," Wash said.
Enter the West Michigan Trails and Greenways Coalition, a group of trails enthusiasts, environmental groups and various planning and recreation professionals from an a number of West Michigan counties.
"Walker's overall concept is exactly what we want to see happen," said Dave Heyboer, the chairman of the group.
"We have been working with a group of foundations and hope to be able to mount a capital campaign in the near future. They've earmarked $200,000 as initial seed money to do something with and they want the lion's share to go toward the connection with the lakeshore (the Musketawa Trail)."
Heyboer said the group is waiting to hear from the federal government about its application for status as a non-profit organization.
"We have donors all lined up, but until we get it they can't give us money."
The coalition, he added has conducted a feasibility study to determine whether there is private money available to support such a project. What he found is "overwhelmingly positive."
"This is what we want to see happen," he said. "We want to see West Michigan trails connected."
Friday, May 6, 2005
By Howard Meyerson
Grand Rapids Press Outdoors Editor
A bicycle trail connecting Kent Trails with the beach at Millennium Park is expected to be constructed in June, according to Kent County Park officials who say they had initially hoped to see it by June 4, National Trails Day.
"Originally we thought we could do it by June 4, but that's probably pushing it," said Roger Sabine, the director for Kent County Parks.
Sabine said progress on the trail segment got delayed by the need to find a safe way to get Kent Trail riders and skaters through the interchange at Maynard Avenue, where the big trucks roll.
"We want to get it done as soon as possible," Sabine said. "It's likely to happen in June sometime. It will be an attractive ride into the park."
That decision and another to limit the length of the trail for now, has area trail planners and grassroots trail supporters dismayed. Most are glad to see the segment built, but had hoped it would go further.
"I'm disappointed," said Jean King, the president of the Friends of the Walker Highland Trail. "I know if they'd build it, people would come."
King and her group have been working with the City of Walker on its long-range plan to build connecting trails through the city that would link Kent Trails with the Musketawa Trail.
Another proposed trail in the plan is an east-west running trail referred to as the Grand-Walk Trail, a prospective partnership arrangement with the city of Grand Rapids. Its route would run along the course of a new Grand Rapids sewer line connecting Richmond Park with City Central Park in Walker and the Musketawa Trail. That link would close the loop and create an integrated network of trails.
The Millennium Park link was to be the kick-off connection -- a symbolic segment that might stimulate public interest and accelerate action. Area planners say they thought the trail would be built through to Butterworth Road, where the City of Walker's trail would begin.
"The connection between Kent Trails and the park is essential," said Frank Wash, the planning director for Walker. "It's an important piece of the puzzle. But it is news to us that things are changing."
Sabine, who heartily embraces the overall concept of connecting the trails, communities and regions, said the decision of where to expend money and manpower was a matter of working with "knowns."
Today there is little bike or pedestrian traffic coming into the park from Butterworth Road on the north. Most of it comes from Kent Trails on the south. The new trail will bring people as far as the beach and ponds in the park.
"Once the northern section takes shape more, we will bring that trail between the entry drive and the beach and move it north to Butterworth," Sabine said.
"Or, if Walker starts building quickly and develops trail that dumps people into Millennium, we will make sure that there is a safe route into the park.
Scott Conners, the city engineer for Walker, says it will be awhile. The city has no money for trail projects. The planning vision for Walker's trails took shape in 1998, after several years of community discussion. That talk led to the formation of a Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee followed by the formation of the local friends group.
Conners called the proposal an ambitious five- or six-year plan to connect the trails with parks, schools and shopping districts in the city. It's cost would run into the millions of dollars. But he also acknowledges that hard fiscal times will slow things down.
Which is one reason he recently asked the Grand Valley Metro-Council to put the trail project on their priority list. The metro-council is the conduit for federal transportation funds for such projects.
"The issue here is that the White Pine, Musketawa and Kent Trails are all dead in Walker and we have a big void," Conners said. "But we've done a lot of homework to get things ready to go."
Wash says "the private sector is going to have to step up to the plate." Local government no longer has any money to build these kinds of projects. It is a return, he said, to how things used to be in America.
"Look at Central Park in New York, the plan for Chicago or San Francisco and you find they were all privately funded projects," Wash said.
Enter the West Michigan Trails and Greenways Coalition, a group of trails enthusiasts, environmental groups and various planning and recreation professionals from an a number of West Michigan counties.
"Walker's overall concept is exactly what we want to see happen," said Dave Heyboer, the chairman of the group.
"We have been working with a group of foundations and hope to be able to mount a capital campaign in the near future. They've earmarked $200,000 as initial seed money to do something with and they want the lion's share to go toward the connection with the lakeshore (the Musketawa Trail)."
Heyboer said the group is waiting to hear from the federal government about its application for status as a non-profit organization.
"We have donors all lined up, but until we get it they can't give us money."
The coalition, he added has conducted a feasibility study to determine whether there is private money available to support such a project. What he found is "overwhelmingly positive."
"This is what we want to see happen," he said. "We want to see West Michigan trails connected."
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