Edmond's efforts to build its growing trail system roll on with grant awards

EDMOND — Efforts to complete a system of trails designed to allow walkers, joggers and cyclists to make their ways from one side of town to another are gaining speed.

City council members voted in October to execute three agreements with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation that authorize developing designs and ultimately building three new sections of trail that will be built on the west and north sides of Arcadia Lake.

The agreements provide Edmond with $3 million to expand a system of trails around the lake, where a total of more than 18 miles of trails ultimately are planned.

They also voted to send nearly $800,000 to the state to build a fourth section of trail next year that eventually will link trails that lead through Edmond from Mitch Park to Hafer Park to the lake, plus authorized designing a new trail along I-35's east side near the future homes of a YMCA and library at E 15th Street.

Work on a first trail near the lake started about eight years ago when contractors built a trail along I-35's west side from near Mercy Hospital north about a mile, then took it east under the interstate to Spring Creek Park on the lake's west shore.

New trails will be designed similarly, with pathways of up to 16- and 18-feet wide to provide room for both walkers/joggers and cyclists.

Planned projects covered by October's council votes won't finish the system entirely but will make it easier for users to get from where they live to where they like to play, supporters say.

"The two segments on the west side of the lake are crucial to getting trails completely around the lake," said Randy Entz, Edmond's director of planning and zoning. "And the Creek Bend trail eventually will connect downtown with Arcadia Lake. That's a critical piece of the system's spine."

All of the existing, planned and about to be built trails are included in the Edmond Shift plan, which encourages, promotes, plans, and creates active transportation alternatives to improve how people can conveniently and safely walk, bike, ride the bus, share a car and drive throughout Edmond.

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These latest agreements will enable Edmond to make substantial progress toward giving residents other options besides the automobile to move around.

What's nice about the trails about to be built near Arcadia Lake is that Edmond won't have to acquire any rights-of-way for those because the land already either is owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or the state Transportation Department, Entz said.

"We will be able to either begin or finish design work and then do the construction," Entz said.

The Mobility Commission, created as part of the Shift Plan held its first meeting in September. Member Chase Ray serves on the commission as a representative of Edmond's Bicycle Committee.

Edmond's still-growing trails system is not as big as Oklahoma City's, but it's getting there, Ray said.

"Oklahoma City has a mature system that makes a huge loop around the community. Edmond still has some pieces that you can only use if you drive to them. But, we are getting really close as we add some key connections."

"It is on the cusp of being pretty amazing," Ray said.

Here's what we know about ongoing trail plans in Edmond.

Trail to link parks on lake's west end

Trail length: 2.05 milesWhere it starts and ends: The trail starts at the intersection of E 33rd Street and S Air Depot Boulevard, then extends east to Carl Reherman Park. From there, it follows the lake's shore north and east through Scissor Tail Park and ends just south of E 15th Street within Spring Creek Park, connecting with an established trail there that leads back under the interstate and then south to between E 15th and E 33rd streets.Designer: LandplanAgreement particulars: Edmond gets $1 million in federal funds for transportation alternatives to use toward designing and building the trail. The state Transportation Department will seek bids and oversee the project's construction. Edmond will be responsible for paying additional costs to complete the project, plus will maintain what's built.Estimated start of construction: Late summer, 2024

New trail seeks to link two others on lake's west, north sides

Trail length: 2.08 milesWhere it starts and ends: The trail, referred to as the Northwest Connector, starts at a fork from the Spring Creek Trail south of the intersection of E Second Street and Air Depot Boulevard then extends north and east on Arcadia Lake's west end and links with the State Highway 66 Trail in Edmond Park (which follows the entire north short of the lake before curving south past the dam and then east to end at Post Road). "It will have a really big impact because it will enable users to go all the way from Post Road to Mercy Hospital," Ray said.Designer: LandplanAgreement particulars: Edmond gets $1 million in federal funds for transportation alternatives to use toward designing and building the trail. The state Transportation Department will seek bids and oversee the project's construction. Edmond will be responsible for paying additional costs to complete the project, plus will maintain what's built.Estimated start of construction: The spring or summer of 2024.

Trail will link future park and Arcadia

Trail length: 1.08 milesWhere it starts and ends: This trail will start at State Highway 66 and N Post Road, where Edmond and the Corps already allows off-road biking and could build an off road biking park. It will be built on the highway's south side and end at SH 66 and N Westminster Road, where Arcadia and Edmond meet. A softball complex owned by Edmond is located on the opposite side of the highway from where the trail will be built. The state Transportation Department plans to widen the highway through that area in the future.Designer: Not yet selected.Agreement particulars: Edmond gets $1 million in federal funds for transportation alternatives to use toward designing and building the trail. The Transportation Department will seek bids and oversee the project's construction. Edmond will be responsible for paying additional costs to complete the project, plus will maintain what's built.Estimated start of construction: Late 2025.

Design services procured for Interstate 35 frontage trail

Trail length: .5 milesWhere it starts and ends: This trail will run adjacent to Interstate 35's east frontage road south from Integris' campus to E 15th Street, then will turn east on 15th Street's north side until it ends at the main entrance for Henderson Hills Baptist Church.Designer: Poe & AssociatesAgreement particulars: Edmond is paying Poe & Associates $98,450 to survey and then design the trail. Edmond will pay for the trail's construction as part of its $4 million match it expects to pay as a 10% share in costs for the coming project to widen I-35 between Memorial Road and E Second Street, plus add Texas-turnaround bridges at E 33rd, 15th and Second streets.Estimated start of construction: 2024.

Creek Bend Trail helps link Arcadia trails with larger city system

Trail length: 1.2 milesWhere it starts and ends: The trail heads west from the Spring Creek Trail's west end on the west side of I-35 to Coltrane Road.Designer: Garver EngineeringAgreement particulars: Edmond was awarded a $600,000 grant by the state Transportation Department for this portion of trail in 2017, and Edmond will spend an additional $753,084 to build it in two phases — a second phase of construction will follow after Edmond obtains rights-of-way for the center portion of the project. Completion of that trail will leave a gap of only about a mile between Coltrane Road and Hafer Park that, once filled, would link trails from one side of Edmond to the other.Start of construction: January 2024.

Grants play key role in accomplishing Edmond trails' growth

Ray, a off road cycling enthusiast, initially became involved in Edmond trail issues because of concerns Edmond's trail plans might impact areas where people like him enjoyed riding.

Agreements secured from Edmond and the Corps by the Oklahoma Earth Bike Fellowship Board to allow for those activities north and east of Arcadia Lake's dam alleviated those concerns. Subsequently, Ray was appointed to Edmond's Bicycle Committee.

While Edmond has much to do and limited funds, Ray complimented the city's staff for identifying federal dollars helping to grow the trails system today.

"They have been really good at identifying grant funds they can use to attack high-priority projects. The $3 million in grants available for these projects puts those funds back in their pocket to use to attack other needs," Ray said.

Ray said he and his family live where they do in part because it gives them access to existing Arcadia Lake trails, he said.

"We can just leave from our house, cross 15th Street, follow the Fox Lake trail to the Spring Creek trail and run all the way out to the lake. We love this," Ray said.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Federal grants enable Edmond to accelerate efforts to grow its trails