Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Trails plan coming together for rural southwest Missouri - extension of Razorback Trail to SW MO possible - public meeting Mar 6th

A very important development this month in southwest Missouri: Local communities and regional planning organizations are working together to create a regional bicycle and pedestrian plan. If you live in the area, you can join a public meeting in Pineville Monday, March 6th (details below).

Could the Razorback Trail extend into SW Missouri--even as far as Neosho?
Could the Razorback Trail extend into SW Missouri--even as far as Neosho and Joplin? How about Springfield and Nevada?

If you live outside the area but have an interest in the regional bicycle & pedestrian plan, please complete the online survey.

What are the possibilities?

The most immediate and exciting possibility is to extend the Razorback Trail north to Jane and Pineville. However, regional planners are using the opportunity to create a truly regional bicycle, pedestrian, and trails plan. 

Will it be possible to continue the Razorback Trail connection up north through Anderson and potentially the Neosho and Joplin areas?

Can existing area trails be connecting into a single seamless network? Are regional, statewide, and national bicycle touring routes through the area possible? Is it possible to connect trails and routes in the four-county area to planned and existing trails and routes in surrounding areas--such as those in Nevada and Springfield.

When complete, the Harry S. Truman Coordinating Council's regional Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan will be the first comprehensive regional bike/ped/trails plan for any Regional Planning Commission in Missouri. This--together with some really exciting developments in Joplin and Carthage, which is now the Missouri community with the highest number of bicycle lane and route miles per capita--makes SW Missouri into one of the hotbeds of bicycle and pedestrian work in Missouri.

Part of forthcoming US Bicycle Route 51 . . .

MoBikeFed is working with the Adventure Cycling Association and numerous local organizations to plan a major new national bicycle route across Missouri, US Bicycle Route 51.

The planned route is from the Razorback Trail in Arkansas northward through Missouri to connect Joplin, Springfield, Bolivar, Warsaw, Sedalia Warrensburg, and points north to the Iowa state line.

Nationally, USBR 51 will run from New Orleans to northern Minnesota.

The regional trails and bikeways planned as part of this regional planning effort will be an important part of USBR 51 in southwest Missouri.

Meeting details: Monday, March 6th, 2017 in Pineville, MO

Join the public meeting or complete the survey to participate in the public discussion about these possibilities--and help move them forward.

REGIONAL BICYCLE - PEDESTRIAN - TRAIL PLAN PUBLIC MEETING
Where: Pineville, MO Community Center
, 602 Jesse James Road, Pineville, MO 64856
When: Monday, March 6th 6-7:30 pm

The Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission and the Harry S. Truman Coordinating Council will be holding a public workshop to begin the preparation of a bicycle and pedestrian plan in the Jane and Pineville Missouri area.

There is a public survey available to take on trail needs in the area. Please use the link to complete the survey:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RSDLPQF

The existing NWA Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan can be viewed at: http:/www.nwabikepedplan.com/.

The existing NWA trail system can be viewed utilizing an interactive map at https://trails.cast.uark.edu/

If you can't make the meeting, please fill out the online survey. You can do the survey regardless of where you live--the local planners are interested in the opinions of potential visitors as well as residents, and survey responses--wherever they come from--help show community interest in the plan.

Please share this information with anyone in the region who is interested in better bicycling, walking, and trails in the region.

Meeting Poster

  SW Missouri Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Trails Regional Plan - Public Meeting Annou 

Working to create a seamless, interconnected, world-class statewide bicycle, pedestrian, and trails transportation system is one of the four primary goals of MoBikeFed's Vision for Bicycling and Walking in Missouri.

Regional bicycle, pedestrian, and trails plans like this one are one of the most important ways we have of moving that vision forward. And your participation in the planning process--by joining public meetings or giving feedback via the online survey--is very important for showing public support for the planning work.

Your ongoing membership and generous financial support helps support our statewide advocacy work and turn our Vision into reality!

Join MoBikeFed's Advocacy Network

MoBikeFed is a statewide group of people like you, working together for better bicycling, walking, and trails in Missouri. When you join our advocacy network you receive occasional important advocacy alerts and bicycle, pedestrian, and trails news from around Missouri.

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