What Happened?
Communities are leveraging state and federal grants to build and expand existing trails that increase access to green space as well as support economic sustainability.
Wobegon Trail
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is awarding a $250,000 grant that will be used to extend the Lake Wobegon Regional Trail into the St. Cloud metropolitan area. The department’s legacy fund will fuel the Stearns County’s effort to connect St. Joseph to Waite Park and St. Cloud through trail access.
The project aims to increase recreational opportunities for bicyclists, walkers, in-line skaters and snowmobilers who currently use the trail, as well as boost foot traffic to the St. Cloud city center, St. Cloud Times reported.
The entire trail extension is expected to cost $3 million. So far, Stearns County has acquired $2.34 million in grants, which is made up of a previous $1.25 million grant from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and just under $1 million in federal transportation funding. To be completed, the county still needs $700,000, St. Cloud Times reported.
Ohio River Trail West
The Federal Highway Administration recently awarded more than $1 million to phase 1 of the Ohio River Trail West project in Cincinnati through the administration’s Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program. Cincinnati is already contributing $261,000 toward the project from its bicycle program, as well as other discretionary funds. The available capital will be used for the creation of the first 3.7 miles of the trail, Soapbox Media reported.
The Ohio River Trail West initiative calls for building a 20-mile off-road bikeway and greenway connecting the Smale Riverfront Park in downtown Cincinnati to Shawnee Lookout in North Bend. The project includes an eight-mile look around Shawnee Lookout, Soapbox Media reported.
The new trail will link recreational assets on the west side of Cincinnati with the east side community. The riverfront area has a new viaduct connecting Lower Price Hill with the surrounding area and the new trail would make non-vehicle mobility easier for transportation and recreational purposes, Soapbox Media reported.
Tiffin Trail
Elsewhere in Ohio, the Tiffin City Council received a $300,000 grant from the Tiffin Charitable Foundation to go with $250,000 from the city to support the first phase of construction on a multi-use trail. The handicapped-accessible trail will connect two local parks and pass through a high school and university campuses, The Advertiser-Tribune reported.
Tiffin applied for a Ohio Department of Natural Resources grant to support the trail project, but was rejected. The Tiffin Charitable Foundation’s grant will help get the initiative off the ground, and make it easier for the city to apply for another grant from the state next year by illustrating stakeholder support. From the $250,000 provided by the city of Tiffin, up to $115,000 can come from Revolving Loan Fund and Community Development Block Grant funds leftover from other projects, The Advertiser-Tribune reported.
Related Stories
Grants Keep Trails Projects On The Right Path
Why Trails Offer More Than Recreational Benefits STUDY: Access to Trails Reduces Youth Obesity