advertisement

Latest bike trail opened at Equality's Ohio River Visitor Center

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The biking trail running between Equality and Glen O. Jones Lake, funded primarily with federal money funneled through the Illinois Department of Transportation, officially is open

Ceremonies were conducted Saturday at the Ohio River Visitor Center in Equality.

Saline Valley Conservancy District administrator Larry Phelps said in the past several weeks, floodwaters had submerged a portion of the 5.6-mile trail, but that water now is gone.

Riders on the trail will see a few spots that are incomplete, engineer Mike Roberts said. But that soon will be taken care of, he told a standing-room crowd at the center.

Area politicians expressed pride in the completion of the trail, although each said from time-to-time each has received complaints asking why money used for the bike trail wasn&#39;t used for other items, such as education.

Both state Rep. Brandon Phelps and state Sen. Gary Forby explained the money used comes from the federal government and is routed through the Illinois Department of Transportation. Federal rules are very specific as to how the money can be used. It must be as an enhancement to transportation projects.

Both Phelps and Forby said they believe bike trails are important as they bring tourists to the area. Both indicated there is keen competition for the enhancement money and if it weren&#39;t used as an enhancement for tourism here, it would be used in other parts of the state.

David Phelps, former assistant director of IDOT who recently retired, was given strong credit for making the bike trail possible.

"I am not telling you it would have been difficult without David. I am telling you it would not have happened without David," Roberts said.

The attractiveness of a bike trail to those from outside the area was explained by Brandon Phelps, who recounted being at a function near the Tunnel Hill bike trail. In the parking lot, he said, there were 60 to 70 cars and only two were from Illinois.

Forby said when he is in discussions with senators from the northern reaches of Illinois, he often explains funding for tourism is needed here.

"Our tourism is our factories," Forby said. "It is our No. 1 issue down here."

The opening of the trail, and having the ceremony inside the Visitor Center, was especially pleasing to Mark York, chairman of the Gallatin County Tourism Board.

"Our mission is to bring tourism dollars to Southern Illinois," he told the group

He expressed special pride in the fact volunteers, mainly from Gallatin County with some from Saline County, are keeping the visitor center in downtown Equality open seven days a week.

During the ceremony it was noted the Conservancy District, through which funding was routed, is moving forward with Phase II of the bike path, rerouting part of the trail off of the short distance it currently shares with Forest Road and taking it onto IDNR land.