Campus bike path construction set for this summer

Bicyclists, runners, joggers and walkers will soon have some new routes on which to exercise – plus improved access to Donaldson Park and the existing mile-long bicycle lane along Country Club Drive – following completion late this summer of three bicycle paths on the Northwest campus.

Associate Director of Environmental Services Lezlee Johnson said the bike paths, which will be eight to ten feet wide and surfaced with concrete, are being constructed with a $208,000 grant from the Missouri Department of Transportation plus a University match of about $60,000

Though the length of all three paths combined will be only a little more than eight-tenths of a mile, the project will provide easier, safer access between the campus and Country Club Drive, which contains Maryville’s only designated bicycle lane, as well as the skateboard facility in Donaldson Park.

Johnson said the longest of the three east-to-west trails will be along 16^th Street, which marks the University’s northern boundary. The second path will extend from the Fine Arts Building across College Park, and the third, to be located just south of the varsity softball field, will provide access to Country Club Drive from the University’s high rise residence halls.

Eventually, said Johnson, the campus paths will become part of a trail network planned by the city of Maryville to provide hiking and biking access to all municipal parks and public schools.

“This will be an important connection for Northwest and the whole concept of a trail system through the city of Maryville,” she said.

Johnson explained that though the University is cooperating with the city on the overall trails project, the MoDOT grant and Northwest funds will be used for construction on campus property only.

“We aren’t funding any other trails on any other property,” Johnson said, “so this is a stand-alone project from any work the city is doing elsewhere. It’s all coordinated, but separate.”

Creating more opportunities for bicyclists, runners and walkers is important for both the campus and the larger community, Johnson said, since outdoor recreational facilities have become measures of “livability.”

“One of the things we know is that, increasingly, for a community to be successful, it needs to be walkable, environmentally friendly and pedestrian friendly -- and that includes being bicycle friendly,” she said. “It helps ensure long-term viability when people have access to the community by walking and bicycling instead of just by automobiles.”

For more information, please contact:

Anthony Brown,
News Bureau Manager
E-Mail: abrown@nwmissouri.edu
Phone: 660.562.1704
Fax: 660.562.1900

Northwest Missouri State University
219 Administration Building,
800 University Drive
Maryville, MO 64468

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