Tallahassee could be getting a new trail that connects the city to Monticello. The path would be open to cyclists as well as people who want to walk. The Capital Region Transportation Planning Agency (CRTPA) is overseeing the project. Its Planning Manager Greg Burke says the proposal has multiple goals.
"To assist in making the CRTPA region stronger with regards to people coming to the region, to use our regional trails system, and to enhance the economic development and actually focus on the diversity of natural resources that this CRTPA region has," Burke says.
The CRTPA is still doing a study to see if the project is feasible. The path would run along US 90's right of way.
"There is on US 90 some shoulders and portions of the roadway [that] have bike lanes, but this would be actually a[n] off-road facility that would provide maximum safety for the users of the trail," Burke says.
The agency hopes that by building the new path, the regional trail system will attract more visitors. Burke says the proposed trail along US 90 will have more hills than the St. Marks and Coastal trails, which will help add more diversity to the trail system. But building a path along the highway comes with some challenges. Burke says his group will have to create a plan that protects the nature along US 90. That includes crepe myrtles, wetlands, water bodies, and public lands.
The Jefferson County Commission will hear a presentation on the CRTPA's project this Thursday. Later this fall, the public will have a chance to give input on the project.
