Work on expanded bike trails west, east of Wichita to begin in April

Bicyclists will soon be able to access suburbs to the east and west of town using expanded trails from Garden Plain to Wichita, and from Andover to Augusta.

Wichita’s City Council endorsed the expansions this week, which will be funded by donations.

In the southwest part of town, bicyclists will be able to ride from Hoover Road in Wichita all the way to Garden Plain, pending expansion plans for the Prairie Sunset Trail in April.

Prairie Travelers, a group that oversees the trail, was approved in winter to apply for a matching grant of up to $55,000 for trail expansion to Wichita. The grant would come from the Sunflower Foundation, pending the group’s approval from the foundation.

So far, the group has received about $25,000 in donations. The deadline to submit the final application is Wednesday.

“We need all the money that we receive because it’s going to take every penny,” said Ruth Holliday, a board member of Prairie Travelers. “There’s a lot of work to do.”

Laying the gravel, putting up signage and, in general, preparing the trail for use can cost up to $10,000 per mile, Holliday said.

The trail — which currently extends from 295th Street in Garden Plain to 167th Street just east of Goddard — is looking to add another eight miles.

“We’ve got so many requests from people who use the trail, saying, ‘I’d love to commute on my bike or get closer to Wichita, or just to be able to run or to walk,’ ” Holliday said. “It would just extend people’s ability to go further.”

Holliday said it is not uncommon to see 75 people on the trail at any given time.

Regardless of whether the group raises the full $55,000, the project will proceed, Holliday said.

Prairie Travelers will “be the custodian” of the trail, Holliday said, paying for its construction and upkeep.

The Prairie Sunset Trail is not the only bike path slated to get an upgrade in the coming months.

From Andover to Augusta, the Andover Augusta Rails to Trails Initiative has been pushing for an expansion of the Redbud Trail between the two cities.

The group also was approved to apply for a matching grant of up to $55,000 from the Sunflower Foundation; however, it had only raised about $10,000 as of Wednesday, Holliday said.

The Redbud Trail currently runs through northeast Wichita, traveling past the Wichita State University campus before intersecting with the K-96 bike path. From there, the city of Andover has said it will provide for expanding the trail within its city limits, Holliday said.

The Rails to Trails Initiative includes a crushed-limestone path between Meadowlark Road, east of Andover, and Augusta’s Whitewater River. The city of Augusta plans to develop the trail from the river into town, Holliday said.

“If this all pans out, one day you’ll be able to ride your bike all the way from Garden Plain to Augusta,” Holliday said. “We’re sitting on a gold mine that we need to foster and help.”

The Andover-to-Augusta trail hit a roadblock — literally — a few months ago when the Kansas Department of Transportation removed a bridge over Kellogg just west of Santa Fe Lake Road, Holliday said. Trail plans show the route crossing Kellogg over that bridge.

“They said if the trail is in and being used, they would rebuild a bridge for walkers, bikers and horses,” she said. “It might take a few years, but we have every confidence that they will follow through.”

The two projects will be both be done from April 23 to July 14, with the help of volunteers with the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps.

“That’s the beauty of it — we’re not going to fool around and say we’ll do it in a year,” Holliday said. “We’re going to get it done ASAP.”

This story was originally published March 5, 2015 at 6:38 AM with the headline "Work on expanded bike trails west, east of Wichita to begin in April."