QC praised for its help with ‘Great American’ bicycle trail

Matthew Timion loves to ride his bicycle. He rides it just about everywhere, and his goal is to ride his bike at least 2,000 miles a year. He takes it to the store, rides it on local trails and even to city council meetings. Mr. Timion is the Fourth Ward alderman with the Moline City […]

Matthew Timion loves to ride his bicycle. He rides it just about everywhere, and his goal is to ride his bike at least 2,000 miles a year. He takes it to the store, rides it on local trails and even to city council meetings. Mr. Timion is the Fourth Ward alderman with the Moline City Council.

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On Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 26, he joined a crowd of about 50 to show support for the Great American Rail-Trail project – a plan to join more than 3,700 miles of trails (and planned trails) across the country that may one day connect Washington, D.C. to Washington state. “These trails will bring more people to the community,” he said during the presentation on that trail system at the Union Station Visitors Center, 102 S. Harrison St., Davenport. Mr. Timion was not alone in his support for bicycling trails. Members of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, the nation’s largest trails advocacy organization and a supporter of the Great American project; Visit Quad Cities; the business community and local bicyclists gathered in Davenport to hear why the trail systems are important. They also heard why more work is needed to build more trails across the nation to eventually complete the Great American Rail-Trail. One of the focal points of Tuesday’s gathering was the effort in the works to connect the Hennepin Canal and the I&M Canal State trails. Closing that gap will generate new economic and tourism opportunities for the region along the route and help connect the Great American Rail-Trail. The Quad Cities is where the Great American Rail-Trail crosses over the Mississippi River and between Iowa and Illinois. That crossing underscores the importance of the relationships, partnerships and collaboration that are needed across state lines to complete a trail of this scale, Visit Quad Cities said. In Illinois alone, the Great American Rail-Trail is expected to generate annually $2.3 million in new tax revenue and more than $18 million in visitor spending — also adding 200 new jobs and $9.6 million in labor income, according to the RTC. “These trails are so important because people won’t be mixed in with cars (on the road). … People from (ages) eight to 80 can use the trails,” said Brandi Horton, vice president of communications for the RTC. She added that about 54% of the Great American Rail-Trail is complete. And while much work has been done to complete the national trail, she said, there is still much work to do. RTC officials were in Davenport on Tuesday to push to complete the work to create a national trail system. According to the RTC:

• The Great American Rail-Trail connects more than 150 existing rail-trails, greenways and other multi-use paths spanning more than 3,700 miles. 
• About 50 million people live within 50 miles of the trail system.
• 87 miles of trails have been added since 2019.
• 120 miles of trail mileage are in development.
• It does not have a specific deadline when it hopes to see the national trail finished. The group, though, acknowledges it will take decades.
• There are currently more than 80 gaps in the trail system.
• The Great American will cost about $1 billion to complete which will be entirely offset within five years as a result of visitor spending along the route.
• More than $84 million in public and private funds have been secured for the projects since 2019.

Even with that infusion of money over the years, Ms. Horton added that the biggest barrier facing the completion of the Great American Rail Trail is finding “consistent funding.” She added the RTC has been pushing for more federal help to fund the trail system. For instance, the project could be greatly helped with full funding of the Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment program. It would make new direct federal grants available to connect trails and other active transportation infrastructure. This new program was created by the bipartisan federal infrastructure law and awaits funding through congressional appropriations, according to the RTC. In addition to federal help, the completion of the national trail system will need the help of many local-level leaders. Business and community leaders are needed to help build new trail systems across the country that will become part of the Great American, said Eric Oberg, Midwest regional director of the RTC. On Tuesday Mr. Oberg praised the Quad Cities for helping with that work and building new trails. “You are truly an inspiration to the country that way you are getting things done,” he added.   Tuesday’s events also included the start of a multi-day bicycle ride on the Great American beginning in Davenport, crossing over the Mississippi River and continuing into Illinois, drawing focus to the opportunity and impact of the trail in the towns it connects and to the entire state. The ride included a stop on the Oculus on the Interstate 74 Trail Bridge over the Mississippi River. Before a group of about 25 riders took off on Tuesday, Mr. Oberg reminded the crowd that the ride is not a race; take time to enjoy the views in the QC. “We can stop and smell every rose on the way,” he added.