PRESS RELEASE: Complete Katy Trail will benefit all Missourians

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Dr. Brent Hugh
Executive Director
Missouri Bicycle Federation
5916 Arlington Ave
Raytown, MO 64133
876-695-6736 (cell)
816-356-1740 (home)
director@MoBikeFed.org

Complete Katy Trail will benefit all Missourians
Missouri Bicycle Federation issues response to governor's call for Ameren to allow the Katy Trail to be connected to Kansas City as part of settlement talks for the Taum Sauk disaster

"Missourians have not yet realized what a benefit the complete Katy Trail would be to the entire state," says Missouri Bicycle Federation Executive Director Brent Hugh. "The complete Katy Trail is the backbone of a planned quad-state trail system that will tie together cities like Springfield, Joplin, Chillicothe, St. Joseph, Omaha, and Topeka to cities that naturally connect to the Katy Trail like Columbia, Jefferson City, Washington, Hermann, and the St. Louis metro area."

"The biggest missing link is the trail connection to Kansas City. It only makes sense to connect the state's two largest population centers to the Katy Trail."

Trails like the Katy promote low-impact tourism and healthy lifestyles that make Missouri an attractive place for high-quality workers and businesses to locate. "We're in a worldwide competition for quality workers and businesses, and amenities like the planned quad-state trail can make the difference in making Missouri more attractive," says Hugh.

As Katy Trail communities have found, trail tourism is a low-impact kind of tourism that has a high impact on rural economies. "The original Katy Trail cost $6 million to construct and led to $6 million in economic development in the first year alone," says Hugh. "Very few projects have the low cost and high return of trail projects--and very few trail projects have impact connecting the Katy Trail to Kansas City will."

"This is a non-partisan issue. We hope the governor, Department of Natural Resources, Department of Conservation, Attorney General, and Ameren will be able to work together on a settlement that will benefit all Missourians."

These governments, organizations, agencies, and individuals have endorsed the idea of connecting the Katy Trail to Kansas City:

Resolutions on file:

Missouri Bicycle Federation
Kansas City Bicycle Club
Mid-America Regional Council
Cass County Commission
Pleasant Hill City Council

Letters of Support on file

Speaker of the House Rod Jetton
State Representative Mike McGhee, District 122, Majority Deputy Whip
State Representative Brad Lager, District 4, House Budget Chairman
State Representative Brian Yates, District 56
State Representative Carl Bearden, District 16
State Representative Dennis Wood, District 62
State Representative Susan Phillips, District 32
State Senator Chris Koster, 31st District
State Senator William Stouffer, 21st District

Other groups, cities, agencies, and organizations that have indicated support:

Governor Matt Blunt
Department of Natural Resources
The Kansas City Star
City of Windsor
City of Greenwood
City of Raytown
Numerous other cities and counties in the Mid-America Regional Council area

Approximately 4000 citizens have called, emailed, faxed, or written DNR, the Attorney General, Ameren, or the Governor in support of the Katy Trail Connection

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The Missouri Bicycle Federation, founded in 1994, represents the interests of bicyclists, walkers, runners, and trail users throughout Missouri. Through its network of affiliated clubs and groups, MoBikeFed represents over 10,000 Missouri citizens. Find out more or join the federation at MoBikeFed.org

--article resources-------

MoBikeFed can help you find trail supporters in almost every area of Missouri--someone who will help you give this story a local angle. Just contact us.

Governor's Statement of September 26th:
http://www.gov.mo.gov/press/Ameren092606.htm

Quad-State Trail Map:
http://mobikefed.org/4-state.jpg

What a Katy Trail Connection to Kansas City might look like:
http://mobikefed.org/2005/03/what-katy-trail-connection-to-kansas.php

The Complete Katy Trail is the backbone of the 700 mile Quad State Trail Vision:
http://mobikefed.org/2005/07/quad-state-trail-system-mapped-over.php

Economic benefits of trails and greenways:
http://www.americantrails.org/resources/economics/
http://railtrails.org/benefits/recreation

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