Building a healthier community one trail at a time

Posted: 9/29/2014 4:26:14 PM

The city of Coeur d’Alene continues to make great strides toward expanding and improving its trail system with an energetic focus on connecting neighborhoods with schools, parks, business districts and downtown.

Recently, through a cooperative effort involving Greenstone Homes and the city’s parks and street departments, a new section of trail was built in northwestern Coeur d’Alene that connects neighborhoods in that rapidly growing part of the city to a vast and ever-expanding citywide trail network.

Further west, a new section of trail runs along Atlas Road south to Seltice Way and will soon extend east on Seltice Way and connect to both the Centennial Trail and Prairie Trail. It’s all part of the city’s commitment to building a healthy community, said Monte McCully, the city’s trail coordinator.

Currently, the city has reached the Bronze status as a biker friendly community as ranked by the League of American Bicyclists. Efforts are under way to attain Silver status, McCully said. Several factors will help the city move up to the next level, the League of American Bicyclists said in a report to Coeur d’Alene.

“Continue to expand the bike (trail) network and increase network connectivity through the use of different types of bike lanes, cycle tracks and shared lane arrows,” the association said, adding the city has excelled in several areas, including engineering, education and encouragement and has demonstrated “a sustained commitment to cycling.”

Another area of trail expansion that Coeur d’Alene has enjoyed success in recent years is building loop routes around the community to encourage recreational cycling. Such routes now exist around Riverstone, Ramsey Park, and the Kroc Center.

The city has until 2016 to apply for Silver status. McCully said there are several benefits of a great trail system.

“It can boost the economy by creating a community that is an attractive destination for new residents, tourists and businesses, while enhancing recreational opportunities, especially for children. It also positively contributes to the quality of life in the community,” McCully said.