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.

Governor Parson, Dru Buntin of Missouri DNR, and Mark Birk of Ameren

Governor Parson, Dru Buntin of Missouri DNR, and Mark Birk of Ameren with the signed agreement transferring the 144 miles of Rock Island railroad corridor from Windsor to Beaufort, Missouri, to become Rock Island Trail State Park

This is the end of many years - and even decades - of work for many trail supporters across the state - but also the beginning of the work to actually build the trail.

What Governor Parson, Missouri DNR, and Ameren announced today

In Eldon today we heard representatives of several state agencies, Ameren, and organizations supporting the Rock Island Trail speak. A crowd of about 200 trail supporters from all around Missouri gathered to hear the announcement and witness the signing.

Mike Sutherland, formerly State Park Director and current Deputy Director of Missouri DNR served as master of ceremonies.  Sutherland has played a key role in the Rock Island Trail project for many years - leading the State Parks study of the corridor and a series of public meetings to discuss the trail and gather public input in 2019.

David Kelly, Director of Missouri State Parks said, "Missouri State Parks is very pleased to accept the Rock Island corridor into the Missouri State Parks system today."

    David Kelly, Director of Missouri State Parks    

David Kelly, Director of Missouri State Parks, is a Missouri State Parks veteran and indicated the Missouri State Parks will welcome the new Rock Island State Park

Maggie Kost, Acting Director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development, told the crowd that DED had designated $2.7 million from a federal economic development grant towards development of Rock Island Trail State Park.

Maggie Kost of the Missouri Department of Economic Development

Maggie Kost of the Missouri Department of Economic Development pledged over $2 million in funding towards trail development from a federal grant

John Riddick, President of the Missouri State Park Foundation, which has been leading the work to raise private funds for trail development, announced that the group has raised almost $1 million towards the trail.

John Riddick of the Missouri State Park Foundation

John Riddick of the Missouri State Park Foundation with several of the fundraising committee members

Mark Birk, and Ameren Senior Vice President, spoke about Ameren's support for the trail project, the 20 communities the trail will touch, and the economic development opportunities the trail will bring to central Missouri.  Birk made a special point to thank communities and organizations who had helped support work on the trail over the years, including Missouri Rock Island Trail, Inc. the Missouri State Park Foundation, Missourians for Responsible Transportation and their allied groups, and the Missouri Bicycle & Pedestrian Federation.

Mark Birk, Senior Vice President for Customer and Power Operations at Ameren Mis

Mark Birk, Senior Vice President for Customer and Power Operations at Ameren Missouri

Dru Buntin, Director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources parent agency of Missouri State Parks, spoke about the agency's work to build support for the trail among state legislators and the difficulty of finding funding so that the new State Park will be "additive" - not taking resources from the state's existing state parks system.

  

Dru Buntin, Director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources 

Dru Buntin, Director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, said the Department is committed to making Rock Island Trail State Park a success

 

"How does Rock Island State Park sound?" asked Buntin. The crowd seemed to approve.

 

Governor Parson spoke about the economic development the trail will bring to cen

Governor Parson spoke about the economic development the trail will bring to central Missouri

Governor Parson spoke least.  He recalled the meeting with Rock Island Trail supporters held in his office when he was Lieutenant Governor. "I would support the trail 100% if I were governor - but I'm not!" he recalled saying. "And now that I am governor, I will support it."

Parson outlined the economic benefit the Katy Trail and other Missouri tourism initiatives bring the state - employing thousands  and bringing billions of dollars into the state's economy and hundreds of millions into the states tax accounts.

Parson said that the Rock Island Trail has the potential to bring the same kind of economic development to the communities it serves, and the state is committed to making the project a success.

Trail development will happen in phases and much funding still remains to be found.

But today the most important hurdle was passed: The corridor has been transferred to the ownership of Missouri State Parks. It is no longer in jeopardy or legal limbo, and state officials made it very clear today that they are committed to the success of the project and to finding funding needed to build the trail.

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy attends the ceremony - and supports the project

Althought they did not speak at the ceremony, another key group attending today was the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.  The Conservancy brought several staff members to Missouri, including Conservancy President Ryan Chao, Midwest Director of Trail Development Eric Oberg, Vice President of Communications Brandi Horton, and Senior Strategist for Policy Advocacy and long-time federal policy all-star Marianne Fowler.

The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy has provided tremendous support for the Rock Island Trail - and other Missouri trails projects - for many years.  They have provided advice, technical assistance, and even - when Ameren was ready to sell the Rock Island corridor in 2013, RTC stepped up to be a willing buyer if necessary (luckily, in the end it was not).

Marianne Fowler of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Marianne Fowler of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy with a copy of the first letter in their files regarding the Rock Island Trail - a letter from an Eldon, Missouri, resident dated 1986. (Click for a close-up view of the letter.)

How did we get here? Decades of advocacy and work by hundreds of organizations, agencies, city, county, and state officials, and dedicated citizen-advocates made today's announcement possible

MoBikeFed and our allies across Missouri have been working for decades to complete a statewide trail system connecting the St Louis and Kansas City metro areas - a complete, statewide trail network that was envisioned by Katy Trail supporters almost as soon as work on that trail began in the late 1980s.

It was soon realized that the Rock Island railroad corridor from Windsor to Kansas City was the best option to connect the western side of the state - and the entire Kansas City metro area and its two million citizens - to the Katy Trail.

MoBikeFed

MoBikeFed "Complete the Katy Trail" petition dating to 2005

A some years later in the process, advocates realized the importance of the 144 miles of Rock Island railroad corridor between Windsor and Washington - an opportunity to make not only a massive, 500+ mile statewide trail loop system, but also to bring in a large area of central Missouri into the statewide trail network. Since then, pieces of the Rock Island corridor have gradually opened to the public - but the largest section, the 144-mile segment from Windsor to Beaufort, has remained in limbo.

1970s-1980s: The beginning of the end for the Rock Island Railroad

As rail traffic on the Rock Island slowed and finally ceased in the 1970s and early 1980s, communities along the tried their best to convert the corridor to a rail-trail.  Another effort in the early 1990s also failed.  The corridor soon became an eyesore and dumping ground stretching 18 miles through the heart of Jackson County and then another 250+ miles east across Missouri.

  • Visit MoBikeFed's Rock Island Trail History & Advocacy page for a detailed history of the advocacy efforts to preserve the corridor and build trail along the many connect segments and sections of the Missouri Rock Island Corridor. 
    The announcement Tuesday is about the 144-mile Windsor-Beaufort section of the
    The announcement Tuesday is about the 144-mile Windsor-Beaufort section of the Rock Island Trail - shown in red on the map above.

Katy Trail visionaries Ted & Pat Jones saw how important the Katy-KC connection would be--leaving $1 million in a fund specifically earmarked for finalized the connection.  A 1990s-era study by the Mid-America Regional Council in the Kansas City area identified the Rock Island Corridor as the primary opportunity to connect the metro area to the Katy Trail.

But the corridor was owned by Union Pacific - who had no particular incenstive to railbank the corridor. In the 1990s, Union Pacific sold most of the corridor to Ameren, who hoped to use the line to haul coal to their generating plants.  The line was worth far more to them as a potential rail line (and an  actual short-haul line on some segments near St Louis) than as a trail.  So that million dollars sat unused for more than 20 years.

2006: The Taum Sauk Disaster opens doors - and determined advocacy ensures they stay open

With the Taum Sauk disaster of 2006, an opportunity opened.  Taum Sauk was owned by energy giant Ameren, owner of the the Rock Island railroad corridor across Missouri. In 2006, a mistake in the configuration of the Taum Sauk reservoir led the reservoir to overflow its dam, leading to a catastrophic failure of the dam and a massive flood through Johnson Shut-ins State Park - a flood that destroyed much of the park and swept away the home of the park and ranger and his family who lived in the park (fortunately, no lives were lost).

Over the next several years, Attorney General Jay Nixon and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources under the leadership of Governor Matt Blunt negotiated an agreement with Ameren for damages related to the Taum Sauk disaster.  In the end, they were able to include the 47-mile Rock Island corridor from Windsor to Pleasant Hill, and a monetary award to build the trail in the corridor as a rails-with-trails project.

Many have forgotten that the agreement to include the 47-mile segment of the Rock Island Trail that would connect the Katy Trail to the outskirts of the Kansas City metro area in the Taum Sauk settlement was neither easy or noncontroversial.  Communities near the site of the Taum Sauk disaster opposed settlement dollars going elsewhere in the state; state negotiators were from different state agencies and opposing political parties. Support for the Katy Trail Connector existed in principle, but politicians and negotiators needed to know that the people of Missouri prioritized this trail and this connection.

That is where MoBikeFed and our many allies across Missouri jumped into action.  With support and cooperation among dozens of organizations and thousands of individuals across the state, we were able to communicate with our elected leaders and state officials, generate thousands of messages in support of the trail, and generate thousands of supporting petition signatures at key points in the negotiations.

The Taum Sauk Reservoir after the dam breach released over 1 billion gallons of
The Taum Sauk Reservoir after the dam breach released over 1 billion gallons of water. (Photo: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)

That citizen, grass-roots community, and media support was exactly what was needed. In the end, leaders of both parties, all relevant agencies, and Ameren supported the inclusion of the 47-mile Rock Island Trail segment in the Taum Sauk agreement.

2006-2016: 47 miles of Rock Island Trail Windsor-Pleasant Hill becomes reality - leading to more possibilities

Despite the successful negotiation, the grand opening of the 47 miles of the Rock Island Trail between the Katy Trail at Windsor and Pleasant Hill did not happen quickly or easily. Two successive administrations worked with Ameren and communities along the route.

In the end, Governor Nixon - who as Attorney General had played a key role in negotiating the settlement with Ameren - and his administration were able to work with Ameren to railbank this 47 miles of Rock Island corridor and build the trail atop the railbed.  This was a better and a far less expensive way to build the trail.  But it took many years of complex negotiations and legal work to finalize railbanking of the line, then clear the old tracks and ties, and build the trail.

After all  those years of work and anticipation, that 47 miles of trail finally opened in December 2016.

In the meanwhile, new opportunities along the Rock Island corridor had opened up.

Jackson County and the KCATA acquire 17.7 miles of the Rock Island Corridor Pleasant Hill-Kansas City, and build a trail - essentially completing decades-long vision to create a seamless, statewide trail system

In 2015, Jackson County Executive Mike Sanders and the KCATA announced that they had created a partnership to acquire the 17.7 miles of the Rock Island corridor from Pleasant Hill to the Truman Sports Complex in Kansas City

Jackson County Executive Mike Sanders joins local and agency officials
At Arrowhead Stadium near the terminus of the Rock Island corridor, Jackson County Executive Mike Sanders joins local and agency officials and partners to announce the Rock Island corridor funding

This was the last piece of trail needed to make a seamless connection from Kansas City proper to the Katy Trail at Windsor.  With the railbanking of the 47 miles of Rock Island corridor between Pleasant Hill and Windsor, the 17.7 mile railroad stub from Pleasant Hill to Kansas City was of little value to Union Pacific's railroad network - so they were willing to make a deal.

In 2016, Jackson County, KCATA, and Union Pacific announced the deal was complete.  Jackson County and KCATA now owned the corridor - and trail construction could begin.

Since that time, the Rock Island Corridor Authority has been working steadily to complete the trail through Jackson County.  There have been a few bumps along the way, but in 2018 Phase 1 broke ground.  This southeasterly 6 miles of the trail through Lee's Summit and portions of Kansas City was opened in 2018 and has seen very heavy use since that time.

In July 2021, Phase 2 was completed with a grand opening, connecting the Jackson County Rock Island Trail through from Lee's Summit through Raytown and to the Truman Sports Complex in Kansas City. As we said at the time, this was in the grand outline the completion of a decades-long vision to create a seamless statewide trail system and to connect the Kansas City metro area to the Katy Trail system.

Yes, there remain gaps in the system.  There always are! But the gaps are relatively small, easily bridged, and work is underway to fill them.

In the meanwhile, using a few stopgaps like MoBikeFed's route across the 13 mile "Greenwood Gap," trail users can bicycle - or walk or hike - from the Truman Sports Complex in Kansas City to Katy Trail at Windsor and from there to St Charles and to the confluence of the Missouri & the Mississippi River near the eastern terminus of the Katy Trail at Machens.

That is a truly statewide trail - though many more important connections are underway at both ends and all along the statewide route.

2014: A new opportunity to create a trail of international stature: Ameren offers 144 miles of the Rock Island corridor to Missouri State Parks

As the western segments of the Rock Island Trail were working towards completion, a major new oppportunity to expand the Rock Island Trail opened up.

Ameren had long held dreams of using the old Rock Island line to transport coal to the Labadie power plant, saving customers some millions annual in freight costs.

However, in 2013 a long-running lawsuit was finally resolved. As a result, it was clear that Ameren could not use the Rock Island line to carry coal.

Ameren soon reached out to Missouri State Parks to investigate the possibility of donating a large, 144-mile section of the Rock Island corridor to State Parks for use as a trail.

They also investigated selling the corridor to another railroad - a move that might have foreclosed the use of the corridor as a trail for decades into the future.

Advocacy work builds community support for the Rock Island project - and helps build supporters inside and outside of state government

Advocates across Missouri sprang into action, led by the coalition of grass-roots trail supporters the Missouri Rock Island Trail, Inc, and the international authority on rail trail projects, the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. The Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation was proud to support this effort. Dozens of organizations, groups, and clubs across Missouri jumped into support the effort, as did thousands of individual citizens.

In 2014, representatives of MoRIT and MoBikeFed met with Ameren to present over 12,500 signatures and messages of support for the Rock Island Trail from trail supporters coming from all across Missouri, across the U.S., and the world.

Representatives of MoBikeFed and MoRIT meet with Ameren to deliver petition signatures in support of the Rock Island Trail. The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy played a key role in promoting the trail, helping build nationwide support, and in submitting a competitive bid to purchase the corridor.
In 2014, representatives of MoBikeFed and MoRIT met with Ameren to deliver over 12,500 petition signatures - signed by people like you from all around Missouri, the U.S., and the world - in support of the Rock Island Trail. This was a key turning point in the history of the trail, as soon thereafter Ameren and Missouri State Parks began serious negotiations aimed at transfering the corridor to State Parks.

 

That was one of many turning points for the trail, as negotiations between Ameren and Missouri State Parks for the donation of the 144 miles of railroad corridor then began in earnest.

Since that time, two different administrations of two different political parties have worked on this project, working with Ameren for years to resolve thorny legal and logistical issues.

Ameren and its contractors have cleaned up the corridor, removing ties and rails to leave the corridor in the best possible condition for construction of the trail.

Missouri State Parks has held a number of outreach sessions and public comment periods.  Many of you have participated in those - generating thousands of public comments in support of the trail and the good it can to for Missouri and the communities it will pass through.

In one 2017 public comment period, thousands of public responses were received and over 98% were supportive of State Parks taking ownership of the corridor and building a trail.

In 2019, Missouri State Parks held three public meetings and again solicited public comments.  Again, both in-person attendees at the meetings and online comments were overwhelmingly in favor of the trail.

The Missouri General Assembly and local legislators work to remove roadblocks, build legislative support for trail

During this period, the Missouri Rock Island Trail, Inc., MoBikeFed, and local legislators along the Rock Island corridor worked to support legislation that would help support the transfer to Missouri State Parks. Laws were passed clarifying fencing procedures for the corridor, and - most important of all - creating a Rock Island Trail Endowment Fund and authorizing State Parks to move ahead with the Rock Island Corridor acquisition as long as outside funds were used for the project.

This was the legislative OK Missouri DNR and the Parson administration were looking for to proceed with this project.  In the end, the proposal passed both Missouri House and Senate with overwhelming support.

Then in December 2019, Missouri DNR and Ameren signed a joint agreement to transfer the 144 miles of Rock Island Corridor to Missouri State Parks in two years - provided Missouri State Parks could locate at least $9.8 million in private or outside funding to support the project.  And then - of course! - many millions more to actually build 144 miles of trail across Missouri.

Since that time, a large group of supporters, organized and led by the Missouri State Park Foundation, have been working to develope private funding to support the Rock Island Trail State Park. At the same time, trail supporters inside and outside of government have been exploring every possible avenue to find funding for the project - including state, federal, and private funding that may be available.

And that brings us to our announcement today - the culmination of literally decades of work by dozens of organizations, agencies, staff, elected officials, and interested citizens.

Thank you

We want to express our gratitude and thanks to everyone involved in making this long-term vision become a reality: Many leaders and elected officials in Missouri state government over the years, state agencies and their dedicated staff members, Missouri members of Congress and their staff, many Missouri state legislators and their staff, Missouri DNR and Missouri State Parks and many staff members of those agencies and others over the years, many cities, counties, agencies, and their staff and elected officials all along the corridor affected by the trail, organizations of all kinds -  local, state, and national - who have stepped up to support the vision, and to many hundreds and thousands and tens of thousands of ordinary people who walk, bicycle, and use trails who have taken the time to express their support for the statewide trail vision.

The Gasconade River Bridge is just one of dozens of amazing scenic areas along t
The Gasconade River Bridge is just one of dozens of amazing scenic areas along this 144-mile Rock Island Trail section

Thank you.  Your years of work and focus have paid off.

New Rock Island Trail connections enable even more major regional and statewide bicycle & trail connections

In preparation for this day, we've been working with partners across the state to develop hundreds of miles of high-quality bicycle routes, using existing trails and low-traffic roads, that will connect you to the new trail:

  • Want to ride the Rock Island Trail route Windsor to Beaufort/Washington in the months and years before the trail is finished and open? Want to bridge gaps in the Rock Island Trail while it is under construction? MoBikeFed's Rock Island Trail Gravel Route will connect you to every Rock Island Trail community - using existing roads and streets (mostly low-traffic county gravel roads). Once the trails is complete, these are still very useful loop routes and local connector routes.  But until the trail is fully completed, these routes are invaluable - because they allow you to ride the full route now, regardless of what gaps remain in the trail itself.
     
  • Want to connect from communities all around Missouri to the new Rock Island Trail?
  • You can ride from just about anywhere in the KC area--including the airport, northland, KCK, Johnson County, and Independence--to the Jackson County Rock Island Trail and from there access the statewide Rock Island/Katy Trail system.  MoBikeFed has compiled downloadable GPS routes & maps showing how.

     
  • If you are worried about crossing the Greenwood Gap, MoBikeFed has you covered there, too. The Greenwood Gap is about 10 miles between the Jackson County Rock Island Trail (13.5 miles) and Missouri State Parks Rock Island/Katy Trails (257 miles). Bridge that gap with our downloadable GPS routes and maps for the Greenwood Gap.
    Amazing gravel and low-traffic routes connect the Rock Island Trail to nearby co
    Amazing gravel and low-traffic routes connect the Rock Island Trail to nearby communities
     
     
  • Want to fly or Amtrak in or out of Kansas City to ride the trail? We've got you covered there, too, with a 52-mile route connecting the Rock Island Trail with KC's airport and Amtrak station. It's not just a route, but a historical and cultural tour of the region, with literally hundreds of points of interest along the way--where to stay, where to eat, where to drink, what to see and do. And . . . it's also the quickest, easiest low-stress way to get there on your bicycle.

Rock Island Trail Resources

Key agencies and organizations involved in developing the Rock Island Trail:

Rock Island Trail News and Updates

 

 

One of the top goals of MoBikeFed's Vision for Bicycling and Walking in Missouri is building a world-class bicycle and pedestrian transportation system in Missouri.  The addition of the Rock Island Trail to Missouri's statewide trail system is the biggest single advance we have seen in Missouri in over 20 years.

Your membership and generous financial contributions help turn our Vision into reality--building the statewide public support for bicycling, walking, and trails that make major advances like the Rock Island Trail possible.

Join MoBikeFed's Advocacy Network

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.

Working together we make a real difference! Join our advocacy network: