Miami Valley RailTrails Newsletter June 2007

Miami Valley RailTrails Newsletter
June 2007

It’s Friday 15 June 2007. The "T-Connector in Fairborn will be dedicated Monday, 25 June at 10:00 AM. I'll be there to take pictures. Hope to see you there as well. More about "T-Connector" below. Here is the news about trails in the Miami Valley. Please read on.

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

Trail Construction and Improvements

T-Connector Dedication 25 June – This tunnel and bridge combination that connects Huffman MetroPark with the Wright Brothers Memorial and the Wright Brothers Bikeway will be dedicated at 10:00 AM Monday June 25 at the site. The public is invited to attend. Unfortunately, it does not fulfill its planned mission. That was to connect the Wright Brothers Bikeway and the City of Fairborn to what I like to call the Miami Valley Trails System.

The plan was to buy land next to the Norfolk Southern (NS) from Huffman MetroPark to Eastwood MetroPark in Riverside. There are two trails at Eastwood MetroPark; (1) the Creekside Recreation Trail that connects to Xenia and (2) the Mad River Recreation Trail that connects to downtown Dayton and the Great Miami River Recreation Trail.

Norfolk Southern has been recalcitrant to sell the land next to the railbed (which in some areas is 200 feet wide). Last Fall (2006) they received a letter from the Ohio Railroad Commission suggesting that they sell nothing until the high-speed passenger line from Cincinnati to Cleveland is settled. The empty track adjacent to Huffman MetroPark is where the high-speed passenger line track would be put in (if ever).

I have started a citizen's campaign to write our politicians to recommend they do what they can to get NS and the Ohio Railway Commission to the bargaining table. Just go to my home page and click on the link (since removed) Three Counties Trail Must Be Completed". You'll be taken to a webpage that has a suggested letter to send to your U.S. Senator, U.S. Congressman as well as your Ohio representatives. The page has the addresses (or how to get them) I recommend to trail users that they get behind this campaign!

Xenia-Jamestown Connector Grows – This trail runs Southeast from Xenia to Jamestown, Ohio. It is scheduled to grow by another 4.3 miles this summer (2007). I have been informed that Greene County Recreation and Parks will pave the trail East of Jamestown from Limestone Street (US-72) to the Fayette County line sometime this summer (2007). This trail construction, funded by grants, will cost $536K. It is hoped that Fayette County Parks can fund construction of the trail to Washington Courthouse to connect with the Tri-County Triangle Trail being developed in Fayette, Highland and Ross Counties. In about the year 2010 the trail will be constructed West from Jasper Road (current terminus) under US-35 (new 400' tunnel) to Xenia Station. As part of this construction, a trail bridge will be built over South Detroit Street from Xenia Station to the current beginning of the Prairie Grass Trail. The Xenia-Jamestown Connector will also start at the same point.
New Spurs to Creekside Trail being built and planned in Beavercreek - Access to the Creekside Trail will become easier this Summer as the City of Beavercreek paves a 50’ ramp from Research Blvd. to US-35 West. The existing US-35 bridge over what was the auto ramp to the road will be used to provide access to the Woodhaven neighborhood of Beavercreek. The City will spend $40K on paving, signs and permits to provide this additional access to the Creekside Trail.
A second trail spur from the Government Center to the trail is planned for 2008. The planned spur will be several hundred feet long and will connect Research Park Drive to the Creekside Trail. This will provide access to the trail from the Dayton-Xenia Road area from where Research Park Drive runs South from the Beavercreek Post Office to the Beavercreek City buildings.
Trail Construction in Troy – By Fall of 2007 a new one mile section of trail will be added to the system in downtown Troy. I am told that the current trail, which is on a sidewalk at the top of the levee from North Market Street to Adams Street will be replaced with a river level trail that will pass under both bridges and end at Riverside Drive. This will remove congestion from what once was a sidewalk on the levee. The construction will cost approximately $250K. This new trail section will join an existing trail segment (about 50 yards) that takes cyclists to Duke Park. When the Adams Street bridge is replaced in 2010 or 2011 there will be a bicycle lane on it, to replace the sidewalk used as the method of getting to the existing trail on the West bank of the Great Miami River. Current plans are to build a bicycle bridge across the river from Duke Park to Midway Island and from there to Treasure Island
Tipp City Trail to Grow This Year- This year, Tipp City plans to connect Canal Locks Park in downtown Tipp City via about a .5 mile trail to Kyle Park South of town. The trail which is expected to cost about $190K is expected to be complete by November 2007. Thanks to Tipp City, I have added a new map to my Tipp City webpage.

Trail Names in Piqua – I was informed that in Piqua all of the trail names that I had been using on the website had changed. Name changes are as follows– I was told that all three trails are a part of the Piqua Linear Trail. I have made changes to the website to reflect the changed names of the trails.

Old Trail Name	New Trail Name
Piqua Linear Park	Piqua Activities Trail For Health (P.A.T.H.)
River’s Edge Section	The River’s Edge
Hydraulic Canal Path	Canal Run

Urbana Station Coffee Shop Opens - I was in Urbana this past week for the grand opening of the Depot Cafe Coffee House that is within the Urbana Station on the Simon Kenton Trail. . Why this is of interest to you is the station will be open seven days a week so that cyclists will have access to the Station's restrooms and water.

Website Changes and Improvements

New Three- Counties Trail Must Be Completed Page - As you read above I have added a page to the website to secure help from you (The Trail Users!) in order to get this vital trail completed. I would appreciate it if you would: (1) Take the sample letter and send it to your elected officials, (2) send an email to all of your friends that use any of the trails in the Miami Valley Trail System and ask them to write to their representatives, (3) send an email to your bicycling club and to anyone else you can think of who would be willing to write a simple letter to support.
New Iron Horse Trail Page - I told you last month about my new Iron Horse Trail page that shows where the construction will take place in the City of Centerville from Iron Horse Park to the Centerville border with Kettering. I was in Centerville this week and I decided to find all of the proposed trail to photograph it. I also followed the trail into Kettering and took more pictures to show you where the trail will be built. I also found the spur that runs Northwest from the old Hempstead Station through the City of Kettering and the City of Oakwood to downtown Dayton near the University of Dayton. This trail will be on the Regional Bicycle Plan being developed for MVRPC by Alta Planning. I do not have these new pictures on the website (right now) but will have them there soon. Meanwhile you can look at the old pictures of the Cincinnati, Lebanon and Northern railroad whose old track will become the new trail.
Other Website Changes and Improvements - I want you, my readers, to know that I am constantly making changes and improvements to this website on an almost daily basis. For example, one of my eagle-eyed readers reported that a restaurant in London was under new management. I found out who they were, called them and asked for the details of their new business. Then I changed the photo on the Prairie Grass Trail . Someone else told me that a B&B I had on the website was no longer in business. I investigated and then removed the old listing. I am constantly making these changes for you. My mantra is: "If its wrong, its Gone!"
T-Connector Updated With New Photos - I recently took new pictures of the almost finished "T-Connector" (see above for more). I replaced the old construction pictures I had on the page with a finished tunnel under SR-444 and tunnel over the NS tracks to connect to the Wright Brothers Bikeway .

Photos & Information Wanted Department

Photos and Information Wanted Department - I have changed the name of this area of the newsletter this month. I will be asking my readers not only for photographs, but information about trails. For this month, I am asking you;
- QUESTION: Does anyone have more information on the availability of restrooms and water on the Simon Kenton Trail? I attended the dedication of the coffee shop in the Urbana Station this week. As far as I know, there are no restrooms or water on the trail except at the Heritage Center in downtown Springfield and the Urbana Station.

Did you Know Department?

Bike With A Ranger at the Dayton Aviation Heritage Center – Yes. That’s right. You can take a bicycle tour with a National Parks Ranger during the Summer. Routes and stops vary in length and are subject to change. Click on the link and click on dates marked in green. The NPS has a lot of different tours including walking tours.
Article on T-Connector in Fairborn Schools “Hit Times” – In June the City of Fairborn Schools asked me to write about the status of the “T-Connector” tunnel-bridge combination that connects Huffman MetroPark to the Wright Brothers Memorial and the Wright Brothers Bikeway. Click on the link above to read the article.
2007 Waterways and Pathways – A Guide to bike trails, rivers, and parks in Southwest Ohio is now available. – This valuable print guide to the trails and to Southwest Ohio attractions is available at the following locations:
- Yellow Springs Station
- Xenia Station
- Greene County Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Xenia Chamber of Commerce
- Young’s Jersey Dairy
- Five Rivers MetroParks
Pick up a copy before they’re all gone!

Announcements of Upcoming Events

I’ve added several events to my Events Page recently. Take a look and you may be find something of interest to you.
Out of Town Events - I've added some cycling events that are out of town to the Events Page for your reading pleasure

Also See Upcoming Events Page

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 Miami Valley Trails System, the 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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