Blue Springs, Missouri has begun implementing a city-wide system of bike routes and pedestrian trails:
In 1992, the City began its planning efforts to complete a combined bike route and trail plan for Blue Springs. Supported by the Out of the Blue into the Future Visioning Plan of 1998 and a number of subsequent annual Citizen Survey Reports, the plan identified the potential for 24.5 miles of bike routes and 29.1 miles of trails throughout the City.
In 2000, the City received a bike/trail grant from the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) for a little more than $500,000. The City Council then matched the grant with $500,000 in designated funds, making total funding for the project more than $1 million.
After more than 10 years of plan development and complex decision making, the vision for the Bike and Pedestrian Trail project has come to fruition, as it was approved by City Council during Tuesday’s meeting. Next steps for the project with include all required land work necessary to get the bike and pedestrian trails under construction.
According to the City of Blue Springs Bike Route and Trail Project, the current plan is for 19.3 miles of bike routes and 3.12 miles of trails. Trails included 1.5 miles around Lake Remembrance, with one bridge, and 1.62 miles of improvements on Quarry Road and Opossum Hollow Road for access to existing Jackson County trail in Blue Springs Lake Park. It also includes the purchase and installation of eighteen enclosed, lockable bike lockers to be located in three commuter parking lots. These lockers were installed in 2006, and are being used by the public.
Read more from bluespringsgov.com, the Kansas City Star, and the Missouri Bicycle Federation.
