Last updated: 21st July, 2008

The City of Columbia is considering building a trail connection between the South Garth neighborhood and the MKT Trail. This will be an incredible asset for the neighborhood, raising home values and improving quality of life.

The project will:

• Allow South Garth residents to access the beauty and serenity of the trail quickly and easily;
• Enable dozens of Grasslands schoolchildren to walk safely to Grant School and the public library;
• Expand Columbia’s growing bicycle and pedestrian network, making our city among the most desirable places to live;
• Deter vagrancy, vandalism, and crime in the area.

“Home values will go down.“

• Take a look at real estate ads. – access to the trail is a selling point. In a Colorado study, 93% of residents living close to a trail felt the trail made it easier to sell their home.

• Columbia residents living close to a trail report a strong sense of safety because the presence of law-abiding trail-users deters crime. An Oregon study reported that homes bordering the Oregon Trail had lower rates of burglary and vandalism than the neighborhood average.

• Animals and trail-users live happily side-by-side. Columbia’s trails are among the best places to see deer, raccoons, coyote, turtles, snakes, frogs, owls, and hawks.

• This issue has not been seen at other neighborhood trail connections. If it is a problem, the City will create a parking ordinance to deal with it.

• Contact the PedNet Coalition at 289-6479;
• Contact Councilman Jerry Wade at ward4@gocolumbiamo.com;
• Attend the City Council Public Hearing on Tuesday, July 22 at 6:00 pm in the Daniel Boone Building, Council Chambers.