More on Jackson County's/KCATA's purchase of the last section of the Rock Island Trail corridor into KCMO | Independence News-Examiner

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It could be six months to a year before federal approval comes through for a transfer of the old line to the ATA. Then work could start on the estimated $15 million it would take to turn the line into a biking-and-hiking trail. Sanders said that money is mostly already in hand, including a $10 million federal grant the county secured last year. The county has budgeted $1.5 million a year from its road and bridge fund.

A study by the University of Kansas a few years ago suggested 100,000 to 200,000 people year could use the trail, and Sanders and others have stressed the increased property values and economic activity along bike trails.

There’s a bigger plan, too. The state of Missouri is extending the Katy Trail north from Windsor to Pleasant Hill. The south end of the Rock Island Trail would be about 15 miles away, and Sanders said making a connection would be easy – creating a bike trail from Kansas City to St. Louis.

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More on Jackson County's/KCATA's purchase of the last section of the Rock Island Trail corridor into KCMO | Independence News-Examiner

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MoBikeFed comment: The announcement by Jackson County, KCATA, Union Pacific, and other partners earlier this month of the plan to purchase the final 17.7 miles of the corridor into the heart of Kansas City was a very exciting one. This section of trail will eventually be part of a 450+ mile trail system leading from state line to state line and intersecting dozens of Missouri communities along the way.