New section of Katy Trail opens between St Charles & Machens, ribbon cutting April 2nd

A new section on the eastern end of the Katy Trail is officially opening April 2nd--Bill Bryan, Director of Missouri State Parks, just sent this announcement: 

IMG_8985 Katy Trail through Frontier Park, St. Charles

Please join us to celebrate an important milestone for Katy Trail State Park -- the opening of the trail from St. Charles to Machens.

Gov. Jay Nixon and other dignitaries will officially cut the ribbon to open the trail in a ceremony at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 2, 2011 at the Ed Bales Area of the Jean Baptiste Point DuSable Park in St. Charles.

Governor Nixon and First Lady Georganne Nixon

The DuSable Park, located at 2598 N. Main St., is right along the Katy Trail.

I hope you will be able to join us on April 2. If you are not able to attend, please take the opportunity to walk or bicycle on this new section of trail and enjoy spring in Missouri.

Expanding the Katy Trail, state line to state line, from the Arch in St. Louis to Liberty Memorial in Kansas City, as well as connecting the trail to all nearby and adjoining the communities, is one of the primary goals of MoBikeFed's Vision of Bicycling and Walking in Missouri. Just a few years ago, the Katy Trail and connected trails reached close to about 225,000 Missourians.  By 2020, that number could easily exceed two million.