Miami Valley RailTrails Newsletter
October 2003

Dear Miami Valley RailTrails List Readers - 24 October 2003.  We had a hard freeze this morning but you can still use the trails. I run on one all through the Winter. There is news in the Miami Valley about new multi-use trails. So read on.  

New on Miami Valley RailTrails site. 
First I'm going to tell you about what is new on the Miami Valley RailTrails site. 

• Updates to website.
  
• New Pictures on Mad River Recreation Trail -  I added some new pictures of downtown Dayton and Riverscape to show how the Mad River and the trail connect to the Great Miami River Recreation Trail in downtown Dayton.
  
  
• New Pictures on the Great Miami River Recreation Trail  - I have added the same pictures to this web-page to better explain downtown and show the new bridge to Deeds Point from the South side of the trail. 
  
  
• Piqua Closes the Loop! With the dedication of the The River's Edge of the Piqua Linear Park, Piqua has accomplished their long held plan to build a trail around Piqua. "The Loop" as they call it consists of:
  • Piqua Linear Park (5.5 mi) Troy Sydney Road to Spiker Road, East to West.
  • Hydraulic Canal Path (2.2 mi) North from French Park on the Linear Park to Water Plant on Route 66.
  • The River's Edge (3.6 mi) from Lock 9 Park downtown Piqua on the Linear Park to connect with the Hydraulic Canal Path at Roadside Park and the Water Plant. 
  • I have put up a web-page for the last section the The River's Edge with pictures and description and have linked the three pages together for your use. Thanks Piqua!
   
• Great Miami River Recreational Trail (Miami County) -The 1.6 mile trail segment was dedicated this Summer. I've just seen this beautiful trail along the Miami & Erie Canal Towpath in Miami County and put pictures and trail description on its' own web page.  
  

New Trail Construction - Here I get to tell you about what trails are being built for your cycling (walking, running and rollerblading pleasure). 

• The River's Edge of Piqua Linear Park The new 4.5 mile section of trail from downtown Piqua to connect with the end of the Hydraulic Canal Path was  dedicated Sunday 5 October 2003. See Piqua Linear Park
  
  

• Great Miami River Recreation Trail (Miami County) - This Summer the Task Force in Miami County opened the first 1.6 miles and the first of seven planned sections of the trail. I was there recently and redid the web-page with new pictures and description. 
  

Other news of interest to you -  Here I am going to tell you this month about the new funding that our local trails got recently. 

• Five Rivers MetroParks got a $230,000 Clean Ohio Trails grant to extend the Creekside Recreation Trail South one mile  from its' current end at Woodbine Avenue in Kettering to Spaulding Road. 
  
  
• Greene County Recreation, Parks and Cultural Arts got $400,000 for the Jamestown Connector.  The $3.4 million trail will built a rail 10.5 miles long from the Xenia Station to Jamestown. They got $400,000 in 2002 as well. Perhaps in 2004 some of the trail will be open. 
  
  
• Miami County Parks District  got $420,000 to add about 3 more miles to the 1.6 already built this year on the Great Miami River Recreation Trail (Miami County). The trail already opened is beautiful and you should see it. 
  
  
• The City of Lebanon  received a $200,000 grant to build a bike and pedestrian bridge for a path along Kingsview Drive. 
  
  
• The Miami Conservancy District in Butler County got $440,000 to build a 4 mile path along the Great Miami River. This money will add to the Great Connection that the Conservancy District is building from Montgomery County south 18 miles along the river. 
  
  
• Beavercreek Township in Greene County got $140,000 to build a bike spur North from the "Girl Scout's Park" on the Creekside Trail along Factory Road to cross Dayton-Xenia Road in Beavercreek. I am told the trail will cross Dayton-Xenia and continue on into Veteran's Park across the street. The trail will be over 9,000 feet long and will open the trail system to more Beavercreek residents.
  
  
• Cristabells  Cooking Company There is a new shop on the Creekside Trail in Beavercreek. It's Cristabells and they are right next to the Girl Scouts Memorial on the trail. They are nice folks and will full your water bottles for you as well as selling you drinks and lunch. Look for them on the trail!

   

That's it for October. As you can see from above we've opened some beautiful trails in the last month and from the funding news there will be more beautiful trails for your use next season. 

If you find these newsletters and my Miami Valley RailTrails website of use to you, pass the information on to your friends and neighbors who might enjoy our wonderful system of multi-use trails in Southwest Ohio. They are wonderful for walking, running, bladeing, birding and cycling. You see more wildlife from one of our trails. 
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 

Tom Recktenwalt
Miami Valley Rail Trails
http://www.miamivalleytrails.org