Upcoming Culinary Ride will showcase local cuisine and beverages.
The Culinary Ride is coming to Cedar Rapids featuring local farms, food and fermentation.
The ride begins and ends at NewBo City Market with a post ride party in the market courtyard. Check in is from 8AM- 9AM Sunday, September 7 at NewBo City Market. The ride is leisurely with signs to guide your way. In addition, riders will be provided with cue sheets. The route is approximately 40 miles.
The first stop is at Matthew25 Urban Farm. The ride will then stop off the trail to tour the new location of New Pioneer Co-op on Center Point Road. From there, cyclists will travel to Allen's Orchard, Indian Creek Nature Center and The Winery at Kirkwood. Each stop will feature local foods prepared by local chefs.
Cost for ride is $45 per person in advance and $55 on day of event. Register online at: http://culinaryride.com/events/ride/city/cedarrapids. Online sales end September 5 .
The Culinary Ride’s vision is to produce intimate, community-oriented bicycle events across the country and contribute momentum to the bicycle and local food movements. These bicycle tours feature local farms, food and the chefs that utilize these ingredients. As we marry local food and bicycle movements riders savor food prepared fresh by local chefs, and enjoy handcrafted beverages while roaming the farms and environmental designations in the company of friends.
A portion of the proceeds will benefit Matthew25 Urban Farm and Horizons Meals on Wheels.
Thumbs up For the 2014 Linn County Mayors’ Ride!
On Monday morning, 359 registered riders enjoyed an 8.5 mile ride through Cedar Rapids using streets and trails. Pre-ride refreshments and informational displays were provided for everyone by this year’s sponsors. This year’s ride was sponsored by the Linn County Trails Association, Bike CR, and Scheldrup Blades Law Practice of Cedar Rapids. As with every year, several local elected officials participated in this year’s event. They included:
Cedar Rapids, Mayor: Ron J. Corbett
Springville, Mayor: Roger A. Shebetka
Fairfax, Mayor: Jason M. Rabe
Iowa Senate: District 33, Senator, Robert Hogg
Iowa House: District 66, Representative, Art Staed
Iowa House: District 68, Representative, Daniel Lundby
Iowa House: District 69, Representative, Kirsten Running-Marquardt
Cedar Rapids: Council Member: At Large, Susie Weinacht
Cedar Rapids: Council Member: District 4, Scott E. Olson
Robins: Council Member, Donald B. Norton II
The annual Linn County Mayors’ Bike Ride is a free, educational bicycle ride organized as an opportunity to showcase the continued need and development for multi-modal transportation networks in Linn County. This year’s ride was Monday, September 1, 2014 (Labor Day). The event is unique as it allows elected officials to directly interact with constituents interested in trail development. And, for many citizens, the opportunity to speak to elected officials is an irregular opportunity. Providing both elected officials and citizens the opportunity to engage about trail development, the Mayors’ Bike Ride is a mission driven event that results in more collaboration between the public and government. The Linn County Trail Association would like to thank everyone who volunteered to help make this year’s ride a success. Additional gratitude goes to those who rode in this year’s ride to show support for trails and bicycling in Linn County.
Area trails are closed due to flooding.
The City of Cedar Rapids has closed the Cedar River Trail at two locations due to flooding. The trail is closed under the 8th Ave SE Bridge (above left). The Cedar River Trail is also closed along A St SW between 15th Ave SW and the landfill due to flood protection measures and flooding (above right). The Sac and Fox Trail near the Indian Creek Nature Center is closed due the high river level. Part of the Prairie Park Fishery Trail is also closed. The Ellis Trail is closed near Ellis Park and Manhattan Park as result of water over the trail. In addition, the City of Marion has closed a section of the Boyson Trail near Donnelly Park due to high water on Indian Creek. All closures are marked with signs and barricades with no designated detours.
For your safety, please use caution and remember the following:
• Avoid riding or walking through water that covers an entire section of trail.
• When sections of trail are closed due to flooding, obey all barricades and signage. Refrain from moving and/or going around barricades.
• Slow down when standing water, mud and/or debris are found on the trail after the water recedes.
• Linn County has several other trail opportunities to explore while these trail sections are closed.
These sections of trail could reopen this weekend as the river level falls below flood stage.
Upcoming flooding next week will impact area trails.
The National Weather Service is predicting the Cedar River at Cedar Rapids to reach a flood stage of 14.7 feet on Tuesday, June 24th. Flooding will impact the Cedar River Trail near the 8th Ave. Bridge, at the CRANDIC Railroad Bridge underpass, and south of Sokol Park as early as Sunday, June 22nd. In addition, high water may restrict trail usage of the Sac and Fox Trail, between the Indian Creek Nature Center and Cole St., and the Prairie Park Fishery Trail. In the past, river stages above 11 feet limit the usage of trails located near Cedar River. For your safety, please use caution and remember the following:
- Avoid riding or walking through water that covers an entire section of trail.
- When sections of trail are closed due to flooding, obey all barricades and signage. Refrain from moving and/or going around barricades.
- Slow down when standing water, mud and/or debris are found on the trail.
- Linn County has several other trail opportunities to explore while these trail sections are closed.
Current river levels can be found at the National Weather Service's Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service website: http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=dvn&gage=cidi4. LCTA will provide updates of trail closures and openings during the next week.
2013 Mayors’ Bike Ride: A Great Show of Support
Seasonal temperatures made for a great bicycle ride throughout the city of Cedar Rapids on Labor Day, September 2nd. The 2013 Mayors’ Bike Ride had an estimated 456 participants from several Linn County communities including Cedar Rapids, Marion, Robins, Center Point, Ely Fairfax, Springville, Ely and Hiawatha as well as far away as Wisconsin and Kansas. Four mayors and eight other elected representatives rode along with the large contingent. This year’s total of registered riders was the largest recorded since LCTA sponsorship of the Mayors’ Bike Ride. The previous highest total was 436 in 2009.
The free, educational bicycle ride is organized annually as an opportunity to showcase the continued need and development for multi-modal transportation networks in Linn County. For some elected officials, this is an opportunity to experience first-hand what it’s like to be a bicyclist in Linn County. For bicycle enthusiasts, this is an opportunity to show support for bicycling and the development of trails in Linn County. In 2013, participants donated $444 towards trail development in Linn County.
Elected officials who were participants:
Ron J Corbett (Cedar Rapids Mayor)
Kris Gulick (Cedar Rapids Council Member: District 1)
Monica Vernon (Cedar Rapids Council Member: District 2)
Ann Poe (Cedar Rapids Council Member: At Large)
James E. Doyle Jr. (Ely Mayor)
David Rasmussen (Ely City Council Member)
Jason Rabe (Fairfax Mayor)
Ian Cullis (Robins Mayor)
Roger A. Shebetka (Springville Council Member)
Liz Mathis (Iowa State Senator: District 34)
Kristen Running-Marquardt ( Iowa State Representative: District 69 )
Joan McCalmant (Linn County Recorder)
Thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s great ride. It was a great show of support.
Cedar River Trail Closure between 8th Ave and 12th Ave SE. begins July 29th.
On Monday, July 29th, the City of Cedar Rapids will close a portion of the Cedar River Trail between 8th Ave and 12th Ave SE. Construction for the CRANDIC Railroad Bridge Underpass will begin and is expected to last until November. Plans call for a retaining wall structure with 10-foot-wide bike path to go under the CRANDIC Bridge (see photo). The $750,000 project is funded by Federal Emergency Management Agency funds, the CRANDIC Railroad and the City of Cedar Rapids. Trail users are encouraged to use 2nd St SE (turn at the Federal Courthouse) and use the traffic signal to cross 8th Ave. The majority of the detour is the existing alternate trail route through the Park and Ride Lot. Please use caution riding or walking through the Park and Ride Lot when cars and buses are present.
Great turnout for Saturday's Downtown Farmers' Market Bike Corral
Thank you to all of those who used the Downtown Farmers’ Market Bicycle Corral on Saturday. We had the best turn out ever! At one time, we had over just over 100 cyclists use the service. This is a great demonstration of our community’s commitment in selecting cycling as an alternate means of transportation to and from the market. In addition, it illustrates support and usage of trails and other on-street bicycle facilities as important elements in commuting around the area. The next market is July 20th, with August 3rd designated as “Bike to the Market Day” so there are several more opportunities to use the service if you haven’t already. Special thanks to Saturday's volunteers who assisted with the parking. If you would like to help, anyone can sign-up at http://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0E4DAEAC2EA64-farmers. Thanks again for everyone's support and help!
Celebrate National Trails Day with the LCTA!
American Hiking Society's National Trails Day® is the country's largest celebration of trails. Mark your calendar for Saturday June 1, 2013 to make sure you don't miss out on the thousands of NTD activities happening all over the country. Locally, the Linn County Trails Association will provide free food and beverages to trail enthusiasts at the Cedar Rapids Downtown Farmers’ Market. Visit the LCTA booth in Greene Square Park and find out about 2013 trail development. In addition, you can ride your bike to the market and park it at the Bike Corral located next to the LCTA booth. Volunteers will watch your bike for you while you visit the market. Either way, be sure to grab some breakfast items (thanks to several area sponsors) and enjoy the season’s first market. It is our way of saving thank you for your continued support of trail development in Linn County. The event is rain or shine, food or beverages while supplies last.
Cedar Valley Nature Trail Progress (July 2012)
At end of July, the laying of asphalt is complete from County Home Road to Schultz Rd. (Mile 10). However, the Cedar Valley Nature Trail is still closed. Periphery work continues as porous concrete is laid on two bridges. One bridge is complete but the other is unsafe as it has no railings. Several non-slip pads, mile markers and sign posts are still in need of installation as well. Trail users are reminded that the CVNT is still closed as workers complete this periphery work. Please respect and obey the barricades and posted signage. With your cooperation, the trail will be open as soon as mid-August.
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Cedar Valley Nature Trail Closure: Benton County
In summer of 2012, the Linn County Conservation Department will repair two of the three Benton County bridges on the Cedar Valley Nature Trail. The CVNT is scheduled for closure on July 22,2012 between mile 23 and 25, north of Urbana (see map) for construction work. The trail is expected to open again in mid-September. Please respect and obey barricades and posted signage as crews complete the bridge repairs.
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