Ride to the Marion Farmer's Market - June 13th
Cyclists are encouraged to ride to the Marion Uptown Farmer's Market on Saturday June 13th for a chance to win $25 in Uptown Bucks for use at Uptown Marion businesses. The Farmer's Market will be held at City Square Park from 8:00am to noon on Saturday June 13th.
Hoover Trail asphalt sealing scheduled for May 28th
The asphalt sealing that was originally scheduled for May 5th has been rescheduled for May 28th, but it depends on fair weather conditions. The sealing will occur on the Hoover Trail from 76th Ave to Ely.
ITC construction along Cedar Valley Nature Trail
May 18th Press Release from Linn County Conservation:
Cedar Valley Nature Trail to Close During Construction
Linn County Conservation announces that portions of the Cedar Valley Nature Trail from the north edge of Center Point to Urbana will be closed periodically starting May 20. Utility companies will be preparing for utility line upgrades later this fall and will be working on the trail to prepare the site for the upgrade.
Sections of the trail will close when work is in progress and will re-open when work activity ends for the day. Sections of the trail are likely to be closed through July 1. Additional closings may occur periodically through the end of 2015, as utility work continues through that time.
The closing is primarily due to work that ITC will be doing to upgrade an existing transmission line serving the region. ITC is doing ground work that will improve drainage around the trail. The company is also planting native grasses and flowers in the area.
Conservation Director Dan Biechler commented, “We have been working with ITC to enhance the trailside vegetation in conjunction with their planned transmission line upgrade. Although this work will require temporary closures of the trail, the resulting landscape will be consistent with Linn County’s commitment to enhancing the beauty of the trail and the experience for trail users.”
For up to date information on trail conditions, call the Linn County Conservation Department at (319) 892-6450.
Hoover Trail Closed for a Day This Week
Linn County Conservation announces that the Hoover Trail from 76th Avenue to Ely will be closed on Tuesday, May 5. A private contractor will be applying asphalt sealer requiring the trail to be closed until the product dries. The trail will reopen approximately six hours after the sealer has been applied depending on drying conditions. The sealer is applied to the asphalt trail to extend the life of the asphalt and reduce long-term maintenance costs. Rain date for sealer application will be Wednesday, May 6. The sealer cannot be applied if rain is in the forecast, so the application could be delayed further depending on weather conditions. For up to date information on trail conditions, call the Linn County Conservation Department at (319) 892-6450.
Update:The resealing has been rescheduled for a later date due to wet conditions on the trail.
Johnson County Hoover Nature Trail Extension Meeting
Tuesday, April 7, 2015, between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. Solon City Hall – Council Chambers, 101 N. Iowa St., Solon, IA
All interested persons are invited to attend this meeting anytime between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. to discuss the proposed extension of the Hoover Nature Trail in Johnson County between Solon and Ely. The meeting will be conducted utilizing an open forum format. Johnson County Conservation Board and McClure Engineering Company (consultant) staff will be present to informally discuss the proposed trail extension. No formal presentation will be made. The meeting space is accessible for persons with disabilities. However, if you require special accommodations, please notify the Johnson County contact listed below by March 31.
Brad Freidhof, Johnson County Conservation Program Manager
2048 Highway 6 NW
Oxford, IA 52322
319-645-2315
[email protected]
Trail Improvements Scheduled for Grant Wood Trail
Linn County Conservation officials announced today that upcoming trail improvement activities will impact access to the Grant Wood Trail in the vicinity of Highway 13. Two planned construction projects will require the closure of the west end of the trail on the east side of Highway 13 starting approximately April 2.
Construction activity will start on a new parking area at the south end of 62nd Street in Marion on March 31. This parking area will serve as a trailhead for trail users who formerly accessed the trail from Highway 13.
Later in April, construction is expected to start on the trail underpass at Highway 13. The highway underpass will allow the Grant Wood Trail to be connected with the city of Marion’s trail system. The underpass will require removal of the current trail access and parking area near Highway 13.
Linn County Conservation Director Dan Biechler commented, “This parking area and underpass project will connect two locally-important trail segments and allow people in Marion to easily and safely access the Grant Wood Trail. We anticipate that construction activity will require closure of the trail for a few months. I anticipate we will be able to reopen the trail by late June.”
Trail users may visit the Linn County Conservation Department website at LinnCountyParks.com for project updates or call 892-6450 for updates on work progress and the latest information regarding when the trail will reopen.
Bike Boulevards and New Bike Lanes
The City of Marion is actively working on debuting what could be Iowa’s first or second Bicycle Boulevard this summer. Marion continues to work on the full details of the plan. For more general information on what Bicycle Boulevards are, please see this link:http://nacto.org/cities-for-
The City of Cedar Rapids is also considering plans to add more bike lanes to two key streets in town. The infrastructure committee has just approved sending a plan to the Cedar Rapids City Council to place bike lanes on Boyson Road from C Street east to Marion. The added bike lanes will have a calming effect on traffic, and will give cyclists a protected space to travel in. LCTA has been advocating for this change, and we could use your help! The plan to add bike lanes on Boyson will come before the council during the April 14th meeting at noon. CR City Council meetings are held downtown in City Hall, 101 1st St. SE. in the Cedar Rapids Council Chambers, 3rd Floor. Attending this meeting would be a great way to show your support for this needed change.
Fix Your Flat Tire Classes
Northtowne Cycling & Fitness will offer four maintenance classes this winter to help you prepare for the inevitable flat tire. The classes will be hosted Saturdays at 9:30-10:30am on these dates:
January 31, 2015
February 14, 2015 (2 for one deal on this day! Come with your sweetie and learn together!)
February 21, 2015
February 28, 2015
There is a $10 registration fee which will be donated to LCTA
E-mail [email protected] to register for the class.
For more information, see the attached PDF flier.
2015 Northtowne Cycling Flat Tire Class PDF
January LCTA Board Meeting Agenda
The first LCTA Board meeting of 2015 will be held on Monday, January 12th, at 7:00PM at the Shores Event Center. We will have a guest presentation from Jon Bogert from Anderson Bogert Engineers & Surveyors to discuss East Side Flood Mitigation plans and designs. Please see the attached agenda for the full details of the meeting. Our meetings are always open to the public and new faces are always welcome.
PDF link to agenda: LCTA Board Agenda_01.12.15
Ely Fall Fest 5k
The Ely Fall Fest 5k will be using a portion of the Hoover trail from Ely Road to the City Park from 7:00pm tonight to 8:15pm. The trail is not closed to other users, but please be considerate of the event, and follow all safety and etiquette rules when using the trail.