Spring brings bike racks to region
Kneeling, from left are Michael Bradley, Brandon Walker, Salvador Medina, Curtis Rudd, Levi Manning; standing, Harrisburg Mayor Dale Fowler, Eldorado Mayor Rocky James, Harrisburg Street Department Superintendent Rick Brown, Major Jeff Dennison, George Rhodes, Terry Grissom, Edwardo Tejedo, Scott Mains, Bob Robinson, Ohio River Scenic Byway President Rhonda Belford and Lt. Mike Burton.
Bicyclers will be pleased to find spring has brought a new crop of bike racks throughout Southern Illinois.
The Ohio River Scenic Byway, in partnership with Illinois Department of Transportation and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, have funded 46 custom-designed bike racks for the Ohio River Scenic Byway Region.
Hardin County Work Camp inmates were installing the bike racks in Harrisburg Thursday morning. The racks are on the Tunnel Hill State Trail at Main Street at Barnett Street and Feazel Street. On the Harrisburg-Eldorado Bike Trail one is being installed at the parking area in Eldorado. Another is being placed at the Shawnee Community Center for benefit of kids who ride bikes to that location.
Bicyclers in the hills will find racks at the Ohio River Visitor Center in Equality, Saline County Fish and Wildlife Area and at Garden of the Gods Recreation Area.
One will be located at the Gallatin County Courthouse at Shawneetown, one will be in Ridgway, four will be in Cave-In-Rock, three at Elizabethtown, two at Rosiclare, two at Golconda, one at Bay City General Store, three in the Brookport area, 14 scattered through landmarks in Metropolis, one in Joppa, two in Grand Chain, three in the Cache River area and one at the Depot Visitor Center in Vienna.
"This project has been a long time in the making, but finally we're glad to present it at spring and Easter," Byway President Rhonda Belford said.
The racks are 90 inches long, 48 inches tall and have symbols for all Illinois Scenic Byways. Unfortunately, the Web site for Ohio River Scenic Byway - ohioriverscenicbyway.net - included an old address that it actually an Ohio byway, but Belford hopes to have that rectified. At each byway symbol there is also a QR code that people can point a mobile phone toward to automatically access the byway Web site.
Hardin County Work Camp inmates were enjoying touring the region and installing the racks Thursday morning.
"We enjoy getting out of camp and interacting with people in town," Edwardo Tejedo of Chicago said.
Tejedo said being out in springtime at places like Garden of the Gods was a treat for the inmates.
"It helps us getting back into society and with our training," Craig Rhodes of Bloomington said.
"And we're giving back," Tejedo said.
Harrisburg Mayor Dale Fowler and Eldorado Mayor Rocky James were well-pleased with the work and are enjoying a renewed relationship with the local department of corrections. They are in talks over renewing the Operation Pride program of using inmate labor in cleaning litter from highways.