Missouri Bicycling, Walking, Running, and Trails News

ALERT: Missouri Senate Committee zeros Rock Island Trail funding - Could come back in conference committee - What you can do now to help

UPDATE May 5th: Good news: Tuesday the Conference Committee restored the $1 million Rock Island Trail State Park Endowment funding plus an additional $150K funding for 2023 in HB 3006.

Less Good News: Wednesday the  HB 3015 Conference Committee failed to restore any of the $3.5 million for the RIT in 2022. The good news here is that several on the Committee spoke in favor of restoring some of the funding. But two key Senators - Vice Chair Lincoln Hough and Senator Sandy Crawford, whose district takes in a good piece of the new 144-mile State Park - spoke against any increase.  Sen Hough, in particular, was vehement in his opposition.

We are still waiting for the Senate to take up HB 3020, which includes Governor Parson's proposed $69 million in funding to build most of the most difficult parts of the new 144-mile statewide trail connection.  It may come to the Senate floor later Thursday or Friday - or perhaps it will go into next week. 

We know that intensive discussiosn and negotiations are going on over the Governor's proposal and other aspects of HB 3020, which is the state plan for spending some billions of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding sent to Missouri.

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ALERT: Contact the Missouri Senate Appropriations Committee to ask for support for Rock Island Trail Funding by Tues, May 3rd

UPDATE 5/3: The Senate Appropriations Committee did indeed zero out all of Gov Parson's propose Rock Island Trail funding, in a vote Monday afternoon.

Please contact your Missouri Senator now - all Missouri Senators - and ask them to support the Rock Island Trail funding when HB 3020 comes to the Senate floor.

Look up your own Missouri Senator here. Call and/or send a message using the contact form on your Senator's web page.

UPDATE 4/28:

The Senate Appropriations Committee is still considering HB 3020, the bill that includes the bulk of the Rock Island Trail State Park funding proposed by Governor Parson.  They have repeatedly scheduled, then postpone hearings.  As of now, the earliest a hearing could take place is Monday May 2nd or Tuesday May 3rd.

These continual delays are GOOD NEWS for Rock Island Trail funding, as they mean that the debate and discussion about this and other funding priorities continues. The initial position of Committee leadership was to ZERO the funding, so we definitely need more discussion and debate in order to move them off of that position!

In the meanwhile,

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State Parks Rock Island Trail funding survives two close Missouri House floor votes - now on to the Senate - How you can help now

After nearly an hour of debate on the floor of the Missouri House, the House today approved Governor Parson's proposal for $69 million in federal ARPA funding to be use to build the most difficult section of the State Parks' Rock Island Trail.

Now the Missouri Budget bills move to the Missouri Senate - where the discussion is likely to be even more intense.

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Katy Trail: $29.2 million annual economic impact in 2022

With the recent acceptance of the 144-mile Rock Island Trail corridor by Missouri State Parks and Gov. Parson's recommendation to spend $69 million in federal ARPA funds building the most complex, difficult, and expensive section of that new 144-mile trail, it might be a good time to review why trails are so important to communities - and particularly, what the Katy Trail has done for Missouri.

What the Katy Trail has done for Missouri: $29.2 million economic impact in 2022

During the pandemic, trails and parks have proven their value over and over again. Use of the Katy Trail rose to about 500,000 annual visitors - the highest visitation rates we have seen.

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Missouri House Budget Committee has approved full Funding for the Rock Island Trail! [2nd Update 31 March]

SECOND UPDATE 31 MARCH 2022: HB 3020 passed the House Budget Committee today with the full $69 million governor's recommendation for the Rock Island Trail intact.

HOORAY!  Huge thanks to Committee leadership and members - and each and every one of you who took the time to contact Budget Committee members and leadership.

All the budget bills now go to the floor of the House.  The debate and vote on those bills is currently scheduled for Tuesday, April 5th.

On the floor of the House, the danger is a floor amendment to reduce or eliminate funding.  Such an amendment can be introduced by any of the 163 representatives - so it is hard to predict whether or not an amendment will be introduced and then whether House leadership will give such an amendment time on the floor for debate and a vote.

After the vote Tuesday and some further procedural votes, the bills are sent to the Missouri Senate for their consideration.

How you can help now:

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Jackson County Rock Island Trail - what happened, what's next, what connections are in the works? Interview with Jackson County RIT officials (Youtube video)

Jackson County has recently completed the main 13.5-mile section of the Rock Island Trail through Lee's Summit, Raytown, and Jackson County - a project decades in the making. The trail is the final link bringing the Katy Trail/Rock Island Trail system all the way across Missouri from the Mississippi River to Kansas City. 
 
Wednesday we sat with with Jackson County Legislator Tony Miller, Deputy Director for the Jackson County Parks Department Brian Nowotny, and Rock Island Program Manager Matt Davis for an update the new trail:
 
 

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Winter bicycling: How, why--and what to wear

Is it a good time to talk about winter bicycling? [Checks front yard] Sure looks like it! 

Why would you want to consider cycling in cold, icy, or snowy weather?  Well, perhaps for all the same reasons you bicycle in pleasant weather:

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MoBikeFed's 2022 Events - Rides, Festival, Capitol Day, Summit and more

Join MoBikeFed for our 2022 events! Help move forward our 2022 legislative agenda, learn about how to make bicycling, walking, and trails better in your community, or  join us for a fun ride - with proceeds benefiting our statewide advocacy work. 

SAVE WITH A 2022 SEASON PASS! Remember that you can save big - and support MoBikeFed's statewide advocacy work at a higher level - when you attend all 5 events, or any 3 of the 5, with MoBikeFed's Event Season Pass.

Click the name of any event to find out more: 

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Missouri Department of Conservation greatly expands allowed use of bicycles and electric bicycles in hundreds of Missouri Conservation Areas

Earlier this year, the Missouri Department of Conservation proposed greatly increased bicycle access to hundreds of Conservation Areas across Missouri.  Immediately bicyclists and groups across Missouri proposed increasing access for electric bicycles as well. MoBikeFed organized a write-in campaign to MDC, and within a few weeks MDC withdrew the proposed regulation for reconsideration. 

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ALERT: Deadline for submitting your public comment on MoDOT's multi-billion dollar Unfunded Needs list is today (Dec 22nd) - How to submit an effective comment in 5 minutes or less

MoDOT has just released a massive list of proposed projects and needed projects - many or most of which will be funded by the recent federal infrastructure bill and other newly available funding. The purpose of the prioritized list of projects was to get ahead of the proposed federal funding so that Missouri would have a good idea of how this funding - and any future funding that may be received - will be spent.

MoDOT is asking for public comment on their project list - a list that includes many roads, highways, and bridges and also a large number of pedestrian, bicycle, trail, transit, rail, airport, and other projects.

Deadline for public comment is TODAY, December 22nd.

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A decades-long vision become reality: Governor Parson announces acceptance of the Rock Island Trail State Park

It's been exactly 2 years since Missouri State Parks & Ameren met in Eldon, Missouri, and signed an agreement to work towards donating the next 144 miles of the Rock Island corridor to Missouri State Parks - if certain conditions were met within 2 years.  

Today, Ameren, Missouri DNR, State Parks, Department of Economic Development, and Governor Parson invited Missouri trail supporters to Rock Island Park in Eldon for an announcement.

And they delivered!

Ameren and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources signed the final agreement transferring the 144 miles of Rock Island corridor between Windsor and Beaufort, Missouri, to Missouri State Parks to become Rock Island Trail State Park.

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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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