Cassville asks for input for trail renovation
October 24, 2018
Charlea Estes-Jones
The City of Cassville is seeking input on a project that would a make a pedestrian and bike-friendly connection from the Cassville Elementary School on 14th Street to the Greenway trail head at Rocky Edmondson Park. Hoping to receive grant funding through a Transportation Alternatives Program through MoDOT, public works director David Brock said the city hopes to complete the project in approximately two years.
A survey is available online for residents and others interested in the project to fill out at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BJZC953.
Brock said, “The administration and elected officials recognize the popularity of the Greenway Trail. Responses from the park facility survey completed last year cited the trail as the most popular reason for using City parks. In addition to adding to the trail system, the project meets one of our internal goals which is to extend the trail system to the east side of Flat Creek.” With the improvements, the section that will be redone will be ADA compliant and allow for more use of the Greenway trail while also helping the school. Cassville R-IV School District has already come out in support of the improvements, as well.
Partnership with the school and the city is crucial to the project’s success. Brock commented, “This cooperative atmosphere was critical to selecting the limits and scope of the project.”
“The primary benefit of the project is constructing pedestrian facilities where they don’t presently exist, linking the school complex with RE Edmondson Park. The project will pave several hundred feet of existing gravel trail, improving durability and ADA accessibility. The 13th Street bridge over Flat Creek has a pedestrian lane (the only one in Cassville) but there is no good bike/pedestrian corridors to reach the bridge. The bridge is an asset that fits nicely into the project concept,” Brock stated.
The particular grant the city is applying for would fund 80 percent of the approximately $400,000 project. Brock explained the Transportation Alternatives Program. “The primary goal of this grant program is to construct bike/pedestrian facilities that connect activity centers; in this case a school complex and residential area with a local park. Hopefully, future trail and sidewalk improvements will continue to branch out into different areas of town forming a network that can be used not only for recreational purposed but to reach specific destinations,” Brock said.
The grant is an allocation of federal highway funds that are set aside for non-traditional projects.
In two years, if the grant application is approved, the improved walkway will make accessibility improved from the school to the trail head.
Brock said, “If we are successful, this would be a two year process to finish construction. I would not expect any substantial disruption to normal traffic, park use or school activities during that time. The end result should complement the existing trails, roadways and waterways and provide residents with another option to exercise or travel from one point to another.”
When asked if other projects similar to this might be on the table for the future, Brock replied, “We would hope to do so but will likely need funding assistance as might be available in the future. Much of the trail is in the flood plain; resiliency and repairability of the trail surface is dictated by the velocity of flood waters at any particular spot. Gravel trails are easy to wash out but also inexpensive to rebuild. An asphalt surface is more resilient if the area only experiences slow moving flood waters but they are substantially more expensive to build and repair if they do wash out. Concrete trails are the most durable but are also the most expensive.”
For additional information, contact Brock at (417) 847-4441 ext. 7.
Charlea Estes-Jones
The City of Cassville is seeking input on a project that would a make a pedestrian and bike-friendly connection from the Cassville Elementary School on 14th Street to the Greenway trail head at Rocky Edmondson Park. Hoping to receive grant funding through a Transportation Alternatives Program through MoDOT, public works director David Brock said the city hopes to complete the project in approximately two years.
A survey is available online for residents and others interested in the project to fill out at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BJZC953.
Brock said, “The administration and elected officials recognize the popularity of the Greenway Trail. Responses from the park facility survey completed last year cited the trail as the most popular reason for using City parks. In addition to adding to the trail system, the project meets one of our internal goals which is to extend the trail system to the east side of Flat Creek.” With the improvements, the section that will be redone will be ADA compliant and allow for more use of the Greenway trail while also helping the school. Cassville R-IV School District has already come out in support of the improvements, as well.
Partnership with the school and the city is crucial to the project’s success. Brock commented, “This cooperative atmosphere was critical to selecting the limits and scope of the project.”
“The primary benefit of the project is constructing pedestrian facilities where they don’t presently exist, linking the school complex with RE Edmondson Park. The project will pave several hundred feet of existing gravel trail, improving durability and ADA accessibility. The 13th Street bridge over Flat Creek has a pedestrian lane (the only one in Cassville) but there is no good bike/pedestrian corridors to reach the bridge. The bridge is an asset that fits nicely into the project concept,” Brock stated.
The particular grant the city is applying for would fund 80 percent of the approximately $400,000 project. Brock explained the Transportation Alternatives Program. “The primary goal of this grant program is to construct bike/pedestrian facilities that connect activity centers; in this case a school complex and residential area with a local park. Hopefully, future trail and sidewalk improvements will continue to branch out into different areas of town forming a network that can be used not only for recreational purposed but to reach specific destinations,” Brock said.
The grant is an allocation of federal highway funds that are set aside for non-traditional projects.
In two years, if the grant application is approved, the improved walkway will make accessibility improved from the school to the trail head.
Brock said, “If we are successful, this would be a two year process to finish construction. I would not expect any substantial disruption to normal traffic, park use or school activities during that time. The end result should complement the existing trails, roadways and waterways and provide residents with another option to exercise or travel from one point to another.”
When asked if other projects similar to this might be on the table for the future, Brock replied, “We would hope to do so but will likely need funding assistance as might be available in the future. Much of the trail is in the flood plain; resiliency and repairability of the trail surface is dictated by the velocity of flood waters at any particular spot. Gravel trails are easy to wash out but also inexpensive to rebuild. An asphalt surface is more resilient if the area only experiences slow moving flood waters but they are substantially more expensive to build and repair if they do wash out. Concrete trails are the most durable but are also the most expensive.”
For additional information, contact Brock at (417) 847-4441 ext. 7.