Sioux Falls City Councilor Greg Neitzert is proposing a supplemental appropriation and amendment to the City’s budget to reinstate funding for a long awaited bike trail extension from Legacy Park. The following is information Councilor Neitzert provided FAB.

This Tuesday September 17th at 7pm at Carnegie Town Hall (235 W 10th St) at the City Council meeting we will be considering for final adoption my proposal to extend the bike trail from Legacy Park (where it currently terminates on the west side near 12th and Sertoma) north up to Song Bird Street and west over to Family Park.

This would start the extension of the Cherry Creek Corridor which will create a spur that travels north through the northwest area of town stopping at or near landmarks like Family Park, George McGovern middle school, Jefferson high school, STI, and University Center. There are two pieces being considered Tuesday night. The first is a supplemental appropriation of $200,000 to design the entire extension, which would be funded from extra capital surplus funds we have in 2019 (from extra sales taxes collected in 2018 that have not been spent). That design work would be in late 2019 and into 2020. The second part is a budget amendment to fund construction of that spur in 2021 (the exact timing would be determined in 2020). This would create the momentum and make the project a priority for funding.

The west side bike trail extension will also provide a long awaited and needed direct connection to the city bike trail for citizens north of west 12th St and west of Marion Road. Bike trail extensions as well as more direct connections to the bike trail in the outlying areas of our city have repeatedly been identified as a high priority by our citizens.

The Cherry Creek Corridor has been in the city’s plan for a decade, but has been repeatedly delayed for budgetary reasons and the need to obtain necessary right of way.

The proposed extension would connect Legacy Park to Song Bird St north of 12th St and near La Mesa Drive. It would also extend west to Family Park at 12th St and Tea Ellis Road. In the future as right of way is acquired and funding allows, the bike trail is planned to extend up to near George McGovern middle school, the new Jefferson high school, Southeast Technical Institute, the USD Discovery District and University Center.

This corridor is also planned to connect back into the main bike trail loop up near Southeast Technical Institute, likely using the pedestrian bridge over I-29 as a connection point.

In addition to providing a recreation facility for thousands of west side citizens, it will also create a safe off-street transportation corridor to allow people of all ages to reach schools and parks in the Northwest area of the city. This coupled with future road construction employing multi-modal features and complete streets elements, should provide bicyclists, whether commuting or riding purely for recreation, multiple methods to engage in active transportation and safely move through the west side of our city.

Please consider sending the City Council an email or coming to the meeting on the 17th to show your support. Thank you!

Councilor Greg Neitzert

You can contact our city councilors here.