The program for the July LCTA Board Meeting will be a discussion of the priorities LCTA should assign to future trail development projects. Recent Corridor Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) decisions have potentially opened up significant new funds for trail development. It is important that LCTA provide guidance in identifying the projects that will have the greatest benefit for the Metropolitan Area! It is important that trail planning focuses on connections (trails that go somewhere). This may involve filling critical gaps or providing connections to under-served destinations. Please attend and help us develop a priority plan.
The meeting is at 7 pm on July 9 at the United Way Building, 2nd floor, 317 7th Ave SE. The public is always welcome.
Pursue funding to extend the Cedar Valley Nature Trail to Center Point and to the Linn-Benton line or I-380 underpass if possibly. The new section north of County Home Rd will be heavily used when it opens in a few weeks. Extending further will increase usage.
Someone needs to start pressuring Buchanan County to maintain the CVNT through their county. It’s terrible east of Brandon and not much better west of Brandon. With work underway on the new bridge over the Cedar River near McFarland Park Buchanan County need to spend some money upgrading their trail surface and trimming brush back along the trail so that the trail is passable when the bridge is completed.
We think that once the CVNT is open again next year that it will bring tourism opportunities to both Waterloo/Cedar Falls and Hiawatha/Cedar Rapids. Plenty of place to stay and eat at each end of the trail.
Al & Jacqui Sorensen
LCTA members
Linn County and Black Hawk County have agreements to maintain the Benton and Buchanan County’s portions of the CVNT respectively. The bridge at McFarlaine Park and a portion of the trail is still out from the 2008 flood and is expected to be replaced later this year. Therefore the trail is closed from 7 miles north of Brandon to McFarlaine Park. We expect maintenance to improve after the bridge is reopened.