The following news release was provided by Prairie Travelers, Inc. of Wichita:
The entire eight-mile length of the Prairie Sunset Trail is now open to the public for non-motorized use. The Prairie Sunset Trail is located one-half mile south of US 54 beginning at 167th Street West and continuing through Goddard to 295th St West at Garden Plain. This linear parkway is ideal for walking, jogging, bicycling and family outings. The trail features native trees, wildlife, creeks and a soon to be completed covered bridge and tunnel.
Please join us for the Grand Opening ribbon cutting ceremony to be held prior to the Goddard Fall Festival parade at 10:00 am on Saturday, Oct 3rd, 2009, at the intersection of the Prairie Sunset Trail and Walnut Street in Goddard.
The Prairie Sunset Trail is a project of Prairie Travelers, Inc., a non-profit Kansas recreational trail organization. Creation of the trail was made possible through membership dues and individual charitable donations as well as grants from the Kansas Health Foundation, the Kansas Sunflower Foundation and the Kansas Department of Transportation.
The Thomas-Hunter Walking Trails were established this past spring in Northwest Lawrence. The City of Lawrence website states the following:
Through a partnership with the Kansas Land Trust and city staff efforts, the City of Lawrence acquired nearly 100 acres of park area, which provides the citizens of Lawrence with a nature preserve. This was the first time the City of Lawrence collaborated with a conservation organization (Kansas Land Trust) to create a natural preserve prohibiting any future development on the property.
This site of a natural park, promotes the health of the Baldwin Creek watershed by restricting all development on the property except for unpaved trails. With the unique trail park planned, this area promises to be a wonderful place to nature walk. The land features steep contours, limestone out-cropping, and a wide variety of trees that includes oak, hickory, red bud and others. Abundant species of native grasses and plants grow in the woods and savannah. In addition, a large number of animals and bird species rely on the woodland for habitat.
A parking area is available at the trailhead. The hard-packed earth nature trails appear to be about one-half mile in length and are located on North Folks Road (go north from 6th Street on Folks Road until just before it ends).
With completion of the 51-mile Prairie Spirit Trail, the Kansas Dept. of Wildlife and Parks has prepared a new brochure for the public and trail users. See http://www.kdwp.state.ks.us/news/Other-Services/Publications/Trails.
GoPlayKansas website reports:
“GoPlayKansas is a not-for-profit group designed to help Kansans discover opportunities to enjoy outdoor spaces and connect to others in the community. GoPlayKansas is an effort of the Visioneering Wichita Recreation Alliance.
“Welcome to the goPLAYkansas blog, the first step toward a new website that will help you search, find and interact with parks and trails throughout Kansas. We invite you to Register Now to follow this exciting venture and share your enthusiasm for outdoor fun and recreation. For more information go to www.goplaykansas.com.”
Below are excerpts from an article in the Lawrence Journal-World (1 October 2009):
Plans are in the works to build a lighted pedestrian pathway between the Kansas University campus and downtown Lawrence, a city official said Wednesday.
City leaders met with student groups at KU Wednesday to discuss options for improving lighting in the Oread Neighborhood, where more than a dozen late-night robberies and attacks have occurred this year.
Mark Thiel, assistant public works director for the city, said his department would draw up plans and prepare a preliminary cost analysis for restoring sidewalks in the neighborhood and providing better lighting for students walking to and from downtown. Concepts being discussed include installation of 3-foot-tall pedestrian lights along the edge of sidewalks or adding decorative lighting similar to what is on Massachusetts Street in the downtown area.
In the meantime, Thiel said students would be consulted to determine what paths are most popular for students. “It wouldn't make a lot of sense to make a nice path if students aren't going to go that way,” Thiel said.
The effort to add lighting and improve safety in the area is being led by Elise Higgins, a KU senior from Topeka, who serves as the Student Senate community affairs director.
Thiel said funding for the project had not been secured.
The brainstorming group, which also includes representatives of the Oread Neighborhood Association and the new Oread hotel development, will meet again in November.
Concrete is being poured for the Burroughs Creek Trail in eastern Lawrence and a Groundbreaking Ceremony for the trail will be held on Tuesday October 6 at 11:30 a.m. at 15th & Maryland. Construction on the 2.5-mile rail-trail is slated to be completed in January.