Columbia's Mayor Darwin Hindman, founder of Katy Trail, retires, receives awards

Columbia's Mayor, Darwin Hindman, is ended his 15 years in office.  He has played a key role in making Columbia--and the entire state of Missouri--a better place to walk and bicycle and has turned Columbia into one of the leading cities in the entire U.S. for bicycling, walking, and trails.

Mayor Darwin Hindman rides his bicycle most everywhere he goes

Henry J. Waters of the Columbia Tribune tells the story of how Hindman initiated the Katy Trail:

In his 15 years of active service, Hindman has taken many bold stands, some infuriating to certain people. His undying promotion of parks, trails and alternative transportation is an example. But without his pushiness, consider our bereavement.

Hindman might fairly be remembered as the father of the Katy Trail.

In an effort to exploit the new opportunity provided by Congress with passage of the so-called Rails to Trails Act, the newly elected mayor of Columbia planned a trip to lobby then-Gov. John Ashcroft for support of a plan to convert abandoned railroad rights of way into a public, cross-state trail that would become one of Missouri’s most popular state parks.

Hindman says Ashcroft was for the idea but recognized the strong opposition it would face, mainly from rural interests. The mayor figured his entreaty would have more weight if he took along a well-known person from the business community. He knew that the president of an investment firm bearing his family name was interested in public recreation, so he asked Ted Jones. With typical lack of hesitation Jones quickly agreed, and the two set off for Jefferson City.

Gov. Ashcroft thanked the two solicitors for their civic-minded interest but reminded them the state had no money for such a project, at which time Jones quickly said he would pay for restrooms all along the trail, a kickoff gesture typical of Jones’ leadership style.

With strong support from Ed Stegner of the Conservation Federation of Missouri, the fight began in the General Assembly. Not much state startup money was needed — a few hundred thousand dollars — but getting the state behind the transition of the rail rights of way required a formidable fight over the dead bodies of the Farm Bureau and other conservative rural interests. Finally, by one vote as Hindman recalls, the legislature approved the deal, and the battle over implementation was launched, peppered with court battles to resolve issues regarding legal authority and ownership of the land.

To enable construction work, Jones and his wife contributed some $2 million and appointed Hindman and Stegner, along with Vicki Russell, my wife, to an oversight committee authorized to make sure the state Department of Natural Resources used the money as intended. Vicki had become a friend of Jones’ during her days as publisher of the Fulton newspaper. Jones owned a farm nearby and was in the habit of popping into Vicki’s office to give advice. “He said we were his hometown newspaper,” she remembers.

Today Hindman is chairman of a foundation funded by Pat Jones, Ted’s widow, dedicated to extending the trail to Kansas City.

The Tribune also summarized Hindman's national contribution:

If there is a symbol that could summarize Mayor Darwin Hindman’s impact on Columbia, it might be a bicycle.

Hindman’s passion for bikes extends well beyond the borders of our city. He has delivered his message around the country, even getting a nod from first lady Michelle Obama at a U.S. mayor’s conference in January. And earlier this month in Washington, D.C., Hindman received the League of American Bicyclists Lifetime Achievement Award.

“The most important thing for a mayor to do is to push for those things that others aren’t pushing for,” he said.

Hindman pushed for the creation of the cross-state Katy Trail State Park, and he worked closely with Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., to secure more than $22 million in federal grant money to make the city more bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly, to name just a few of his accomplishments.

The Columbia Missourian recently featured Mayor Hindman's award at the 2010 National Bike Summit in Washington:

The League of American Bicyclists presented Hindman with its Lifetime Achievement Award on March 9 at the 10^th annual National Bike Summit in Washington, D.C.

Andy Clarke, executive director of the bicyclists' league, presented the award. Clarke cited Hindman’s “leadership in making Columbia a ‘bike friendly’ city,” according to a City of Columbia news release.

The league also awards cities with bronze, silver, gold or platinum status for successful programs promoting bicycling and walking. Columbia recently jumped from no recognition to a silver status. Hindman said he doesn’t know of any city that has made that leap.

Hindman said he was surprised about the award and considered it a “terrific personal honor.” He said he doesn't want to take all the credit, however, because the award and silver status also recognize what is happening in Columbia overall.

“It’s really an award for our community and all the citizens who have been pushing for active transportation in Columbia,” Hindman said.