Jefferson City staff is looking to connect a stretch of the city's greenway trail farther into the downtown area.
It's a short project, but a good plan.
The existing stretch of greenway trail ends at Jackson and East McCarty streets and is a block from City Hall. It's also near the old Simonsen 9th Grade Center, which will be converted into apartments after being damaged in the 2019 tornado.
The plan is to add a stretch of greenway just a few blocks up Jackson Street to connect it with the existing bike lanes and sidewalks along Capitol Avenue, not far from the old Missouri State Penitentiary.
It's similar to what was planned in the city's 2007 Greenway Master Plan, which called for a connector along Marshall Street, a block over. City officials say this connection would work better and be less expensive.
That proposed connection makes sense. Capitol Avenue is a historic street that the city renovated a couple of years ago, and it's routinely used by walkers/bikers. The project also fits with the city's plan to bring more amenities to neighborhoods, including the central eastside neighborhood around Jackson Street.
The plan to connect the greenway to Capitol Avenue would cost around $200,000 and would include not only the new trail portion but also new curbs, gutter and driveway approaches needed along the trail.
The city would depend on a state grant for most of the money. The Recreational Trails Program grant, which comes through the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, can be used for non-motorized transportation like walking trails or bike paths.
If the city applies for the grant and is awarded the funds, the grant could provide an estimated $160,000, and the city would kick in a 20 percent local match, about $40,000.
The City Council could vote at its Feb. 1 meeting to allow the grant application. We hope it does so.
The city's greenway system has developed from an idea in the 1990s to an interconnected linear park system that gives people access to a walking/biking/skating trail in many parts of the city.
This project would add one more important connection.
News Tribune