Kansas City passes resolution of support for Katy Trail Connection

November 30th the Kansas City Council adopted the following resolution in support of the Complete Katy Trail by a vote of 13-0. Many thanks to Councilman John Fairfield, who introduced and sponsored the resolution and has worked tirelessly for the trail and for other bicycle and pedestrian issues in the region, including the bike/ped river crossing issue.

The Kansas City Council represents 445,000 citizens of the city--the largest city in the state.

Kansas City joins a number of other cities and governments who have passed resolutions of support, including:

Quad State Trail Vision

Missouri Bicycle Federation
Kansas City Bicycle Club
Mid-America Regional Council
Cass County Commission
Pleasant Hill City Council
Raytown City Council
Lee's Summit Parks Board
Lee's Summit City Council
Kansas CIty Parks and Recreation Commission

Click here for information about how your organization, city, or county can pass a resolution of support for the Complete Katy Trail.

Each resolution passed and citizen message sent adds a little more pressure to the state and Ameren to come to an agreement on connecting the Katy Trail to the Kansas City area.

RESOLUTION NO. 061242

Expressing the Councils support for extension of the Katy Trail to Kansas City, and directing the City Clerk to distribute copies of this resolution.

WHEREAS, the Katy Trail, the longest rail-trail in the United States, is among the most popular Missouri state parks, but still is not connected to the major population centers in Missouri; and WHEREAS, completing the Katy Trail to create a seamless trail connection from St. Louis to Kansas City will allow bicyclists and pedestrians to safely connect with all cities and towns along the trail; and

WHEREAS, a completed Katy Trail would serve as the backbone of the Quad-State Trail System designed to connect communities within Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, and Nebraska; and

WHEREAS, a completed Katy Trail can provide tremendous tourism, economic development, and public health benefits; and

WHEREAS, although connections for trail users from the Katy Trail to St. Charles, other points within the St. Louis metropolitan area, Hermann, Washington, Columbia, and Springfield, all exist or are planned, there are no connections for trail users to Jefferson City, Kansas City, communities throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area, and other communities desirous of the benefits of a completed Katy Trail; NOW, THEREFORE,

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:

Section 1. That the Council urges all involved parties to complete the Katy Trail network from state line to state line and to make appropriate trail connections from the Katy Trail to communities around the state, including particularly construction of the Katy Trail in the Kansas City area.

Section 2. That the City Clerk shall provide copies of this resolution to Governor Matt Blunt, Attorney General Jay Nixon, Doyle Childers, Director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Pete Rahn, Director of the Missouri Department of Transportation, and Brent D. Hugh, Executive Director of the Missouri Bicycle Federation.