Miami Valley RailTrails Newsletter January 2007

Miami Valley RailTrails Newsletter
January 2007

It’s Thursday 11 January 2007. There's sun in the Miami Valley but we haven't had much Winter. Here is the news about trails in the Miami Valley. Please read on.

Trail Construction and Improvements.	Website Changes and Improvements
Photos Wanted Section	Did You Know Department
Announcements of Upcoming Cycling Events

Trail Construction and Improvements

T-Connector Well Under Way – Last month I told you that construction had started on this vital connection between Eastwood MetroPark and Huffman MetroPark. This tunnel under State Route 444 and bridge across the Norfolk Southern tracks at Huffman MetroPark will connect to the Wright Brothers Bikeway. Then the trail will continue Northeast through the Black Lane section of Fairborn and end at Enon Park in Enon. When completed the T-Connector and the trail called (nominally) the
Three Counties Trail will be about 15 miles long.

On Christmas Eve 2006 it was sunny so I took a lot of pictures of the construction on the T-Connector and have updated the page with new pictures and maps for your reading pleasure.

Website Changes and Improvements

T-Connector Page Updated - In November 2006 I used some great photos provided by Mr. Bob Gray. On Christmas Eve (December 24, 2006) I took new photographs and have added them to this page along with Yahoo Earth maps to show you this new trail now under construction.
Three Counties Trail Page Updated – I also added the same new pictures taken on Christmas Eve to the Three Counties Trail page. The Three Counties Trail uses the T-Connector to get from Huffman MetroPark to connect to the Wright Brothers Bikeway that will take the trail through Fairborn. Eventually the trail will be connected to Enon in Clark County via this trail.
New Pictures on Crains Run Nature Park to Franklin Page – I received some good photos of the trail from Mr. Chad Schroeder, the engineer from the Miami Conservancy who was responsible for the engineering of this new 3.7 mile trail segment. So I’ve added two new pictures to this page. Mr. Schroeder also sent me a good map of the trail for your use that I’ve put it on the page and on my maps page. He was interviewed in December 2006 by the Warren County Magazine about the construction of the trail. You can “Read All About it” on their website. I’ve added a link from the Crains Run Nature Park to Franklin page to this article so that those who just look at the page can read Chad’s interview.
Great Miami River Recreation Trail (Miami County) - Section 5 Groundbreaking - Work started 13 December 2006 on bike path clearing of Section 5 between Eldean and Peterson Roads so that the surveyors can get access to prepare the easements that are required. The trail has $1 Million of funding and it is planned to be completed in 2009. Mr. Robert Shook, Chairman of the Miami County Trails Task Force sent me pictures of the groundbreaking and I have added a new webpage to show construction on “Section 5 Great Miami River Recreation Trail (Miami County)”.

Photos Wanted Department

None this month

Did you Know Department?

The Miami Valley Trails System is still expanding? Yes it Is! In addition to what I've told you above here's some more!
- Miami County Trails Development - Efforts are underway to build a trail completely across Miami County from Taylorsville MetroPark in Montgomery County through Tipp City, Troy and Piqua to end in Sydney (Shelby County). This is a part of the Great Miami River Recreation Trail (see below). Every city and township in the vicinity of this planned trail wants to build a feeder trail East or West to their town.
- Clark County Trails Development - The Tecumseh Trail is funded. Clark County intends to finish the Little Miami Scenic Trail to downtown Springfield (see below). The Clark County portion of the Three Counties Trail is on the planned trails list. See the new 2007 Clark County Multi-Use Trail Plan (.pdf) for more information.
- Great Miami River Recreation Trail in Butler & Hamilton Counties - This same trail is being extended 28 miles South of Crains Run Nature Park along the Great Miami River to Franklin, Middletown and Hamilton.
- Miami-2-Miami Trail - In Hamilton the trail will be built East through through Fairfield, West Chester and Mason Townships to connect to the Little Miami Scenic Trail South of Lebanon.
- Little Miami Scenic Trail - is being expanded both to the North and to the South. To the North a continuous route is being planned to downtown Springfield. To the South the trail will meet with the Ohio River Trail to connect to downtown Cincinnati.
- There is more! But I think I'll tell you all about it this year as more plans become funded and more trail construction starts. It's going to be another great year for trails in the Miami Valley!

Announcements of Upcoming Events

See Events.htm

Regards to all,

Thomas J. Recktenwalt
Webmaster
Miami Valley RailTrails
http://www.miamivalleytrails.org

If you find these newsletters and my Miami Valley RailTrails website of use to you, please pass the information on to your friends and neighbors who might enjoy our wonderful system of multi-use trails in Southwest Ohio. Then they can write me and get on the mailing list to get their own copy of this newsletter. Our trail system is wonderful for walking, running, in-line skating, birding, fishing and cycling and on some trails horseback riding. You see more wildlife from one of our trails than most anyplace else. All of my newsletters are posted to my website at the same time I send you this text version. The URL for your use is: http://www.miamivalleytrails.org/join_our_mailing_list.htm

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