Rock Island Trail Update - Contact your MO state legislators in support of the Rock Island

This year we have been working with the Missouri Rock Island Trail, Inc., and other partners across the state on several issues related to the Rock Island Trail.

Missouri's Rock Island Trail: The blue portion is now open; work on the orange portion is underway; but now the RED portion is threatened--again!

One bill dealt with property taxes related to rail trails in Missouri, another dealt with fencing along the Rock Island Trail. The latest, HB 698, is putting the brakes on State Park expansion until maintenance on all current state parks is up to date.

In all cases so far, we have been able to successfully advocate for the Rock Island Trail and for solutions that will be beneficial to trail users, the forthcoming state park, and adjoining landowners.

But it is also so helpful if our legislators know that there is widespread popular support for the Rock Island Trail. Will you spend 5 minutes contacting your own state legislators and Governor Greitens, to let them know you support the trail?

Contact your own Missouri State Legislators in support of the Rock Island Trail

Just let the your Missouri State Representative and Missouri State Senator know in a few (polite, persuasive!) sentences why you support the Rock Island Trail and why it is important to Missouri. 

Look up your Missouri State Legislators & their contact info by address here, or by Zip+4 here.

Will Governor Greitens Support the Rock Island Trail? Please contact the Governor's office

Please contact Governor Greitens here and let him know about the importance of the trail to Missouri's communities and to Missouri's economy. 

Governor Greitens is newly elected, has not been involved in the development of the Rock Island Trail up to now, and has pledged to listen carefully to Missourians and what they want.

The Rock Island Trail is on track for transfer to Missouri State Parks later in 2017. By speaking up now, you let Governor Greitens know that the Rock Island Trail has broad public support.

Rock Island Trail - Latest Update

Here is the latest Rock Island Trail update from the Missouri Rock Island Trail, Inc.:

Rock Island Trail Update

March 3, 2017

The first 47 miles of the Rock Island Trail opened on December 10, 2016 connecting greater Kansas City to the 240 mile Katy Trail at Windsor. Pleasant Hill, Chilhowee, Leeton, and Windsor are already noting an increase in visitors from the trail. Windsor is the crossroads of the Katy and Rock Island trails, and the new trail has already inspired lodging reservations from all over the world. In 2015, Ameren entered into an agreement with Missouri State Parks to donate the next 144 miles to the State of Missouri under the Rails-To-Trails laws. The transfer is to be in late 2017 after completion of the salvage of the rails and ties.

The next 144 miles of the corridor goes through the middle of 23 towns, including Versailles, Eldon and Owensville. Tunnels 2-5 football fields long go under Eugene and Freeburg, and near Meta. The salvaged rail corridor resembles a flat, dirt road. Given that it goes through the middle of communities, they want to be able to use it ASAP and for it to be developed to the Katy Trail standard as soon as public and private funding allows. The spectacular bridges over the Gasconade, Osage and Maries rivers are good candidates for naming by philanthropists or businesses interested in promoting community development, tourism, health and wellness, or conservation. The Rock Island Trail’s role as an internationally significant tourism destination is explained at https://www.railstotrails.org/trailblog/2016/december/05/missouris-rock-island-trail-state-park/.

A statewide Katy/Rock Island Trail system of over 500 miles will be an international tourism destination and one of the top tourism destinations in the Midwest.

Economic developmentand improved quality of life are the main motivators to the Rock Island Trail towns. The https://mostateparks.com/sites/mostateparks/files/Katy_Trail_Economic_Impact_Report_Final.pdf details the Katy Trail’s 400,000 annual users and economic impact of more than $18 million. The Rock Island goes through the middle of towns so it will have greater daily usage and economic impact per mile. Residents will use it daily for transportation and recreation. Improved quality of life will be positive for business development.  

The Katy/Rock Island Trail system will be an internationally recognized loop.Travelers on the Katy Trail marvel at the Missouri River and enjoy the heritage of communities like Augusta and Hermann. The Rock Island Trail adds new features with spectacular bridges and tunnels 2-5 football fields long. Several loops will be possible from Kansas City and St. Louis. Amtrack offers several easy one-way shuttles along the Katy https://www.amtrak.com/bring-your-bicycle-onboard. Stores and restaurants in sight from the Rock Island are open most days, not just seasonally or on weekends

Transportation safety and efficiency will improve on highways where the adjacent trail will provide an attractive alternative for non-motorized vehicles and pedestrians. Examples include the 56 miles paralleling Highway 52 from Windsor to Eldon and the 33 miles along highways 28 and 50 from Belle to Beaufort. Planners are considering allowing horses and buggies on the trail in the Versailles area. Groffdale Conference Mennonites now share the two-lane Highway 52 at 5-10 mph with motorists preferring 60 mph.

Families and youth groups enjoy day trips and bicycle touring where it is safe and accessible. Kansas City area Boy Scout troops are already planning multi-day bike trips on the Rock Island and Katy trails. Four towns in the first 47 miles offer dining and camping. It is 28 miles from Pleasant Hill to Chilhowee, 9 more to Leeton, then another 10 to Windsor and the Katy. Windsor has restaurants, a motel, other lodging, and camping.

A Safe Route to School will be created by the trail at Owensville. Their schools are just east of Highway 19 and the town is mostly to the west, so students are not been allowed to walk or bicycle to school for safety reasons. That will change as the completed trail will pass under Highway 19. The trail will also provide a safe alternative to Highway 28 for students traveling to school from many miles to the east.

Rural health and childhood obesityrates improve where residents have safe places to walk and bicycle.

Rail-trails are flat, so they encourage activity even for those with weight or mobility issues.

The City of Belle is building more than a mile of trail in early 2017 to the specifications of MO State Parks. Construction was sped up a year or more after MoRIT helped the City of Belle and Ameren broker a special agreement to transfer interim responsibility for the segment to the city. Belle plans to renovate its former MFA as a welcome center, with wraparound decking and other inviting spaces.

Eldon’s future is being shaped by its 3 miles of corridor through their city limits. Lake Regional Health Center is expanding an outpatient care facility next to the trail. A former manufacturing facility is being renovated as a senior care center. Both of those health care facilities were located to take advantage of the trail as a new community asset for transportation and exercise for their patients. A donor with local ties has given Eldon $150,000 in matching money to rebuild a former railroad depot as a welcome center, museum and offices for their Chamber of Commerce. It will be at the front door of downtown Eldon near its community center.

Kansas City’s Jackson County has purchased 17.7 miles of former Rock Island Railroad corridor from the Truman Sports Complex on I-70 through Raytown and Lee’s Summit. Trail will be constructed in 2017-18, with longer term goals of adding commuter rail and/or buses. Area communities are working on alternative routes for the 4-5 mile “Greenwood Gap” where there is no rail corridor available from Lee’s Summit to Pleasant Hill. See http://www.jacksongov.org/776/Rock-Island-Rail-Corridor-Authority.

In St. Louis, https://greatriversgreenway.org/ and http://trailnet.org/ are eager for the Rock Island Trail to approach their regional trail network. The Katy Trail is just a few miles away at Washington, where the new Highway 47 Bridge over the Missouri River will be bike-friendly in late 2018. Further east on the Katy Trail, the new Highway 64-40 Boone Bridge connecting to Chesterfield Bottoms is already bike-friendly.

Springfield wants to connect their 35 mile http://www.friscohighlinetrail.org/ending at Bolivar to the Rock Island Trail. The route will include Warsaw, connecting its trail system to the Rock Island Trail at Cole Camp. Jefferson City is discussing connections between the Katy and Rock Island Trails at Eugene or Eldon.

More than 4,500 people follow https://www.facebook.com/morockislandtrail/ and 20+ are added each week. Followers are nearly 50/50 male-female. Nearly half (49%) are ages 35-54, 18% are 55-64, 9% are 65+.

Missouri Rock Island Trail, Inc. (MoRIT) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit coalition of citizens and communities dedicated to preserving the Rock Island corridor as a linear park. Join online at www.rockislandtrail.org.

 

Greg Harris, Executive Director, Missouri Rock Island Trail 573-202-9632 and moritdirector@gmail.com.