To the editor:

Planning to develop a high-quality trail system for the Fort Dodge area began in 2006. The outcome of this planning process was the establishment of the Trails Advisory Board that would provide the city and county with input and help raise funds to support the development of paved trails for our community and region. The first project completed was the trail to Harlan Rogers Park and on to Kennedy Park. Since that time, close to 25 miles of paved trails have been built throughout Fort Dodge and Webster County, including a beautiful trail around Badger Lake at Kennedy Park.

Forward-thinking communities across Iowa and our nation understand that trails attract new families, tourists and people of all ages and improve the quality of life in their communities. Trails enhance recreation, advance physical activity, improve safety, and connect people with places such as parks, recreational facilities, schools, and neighborhoods. High quality trail systems improve the overall character of a community, which has proven to be true for our community as well.

The North 22nd Street trail that recently opened is the culmination of 10 years of planning. This trail connects northeast Fort Dodge neighborhoods to three trails: the Nature Trail, the trail that runs from the Woodlands all the way to Badger, and the 32nd Street trail.

Because North 22nd Street from 18th Avenue to the Woodlands neighborhood is used by many cyclists, runners and even parents pushing children in strollers, the Trails Advisory Board and the city agreed that this mix of people sharing the road with cars and trucks has created a very dangerous situation. The new trail on North 22nd Street that runs parallel to the road has greatly improved safety for the pedestrians and cyclists that are now using the trail.

The construction cost for the North 22nd Street trail was $923,000. The City of Fort Dodge received a $500,000 federal grant (Transportation Alternatives Grant) and leveraged this grant with matching dollars ($423,000) from a 2023 GO bond. Essentially, the federal grant covered more than half the cost for this important trail connection for our community.

Today, thanks to the support of our city and county leaders, we enjoy a trail system that is a model of collaboration that involved a successful partnership between the city, the county, local businesses, and the general public. All these partners worked together to plan and share resources to build a trail system that is one of the best in the state and is a wonderful asset for our community.

Randy Kuhlman

Fort Dodge