Monday, March 12, 2007

Parkway Trail Cracks

Hope the white paint helps people avoid them, and they need fixing.

The need points to our suggestion that a nonprofit organization provide daily management of the Parkway through a contract with a hoped for in the near future Joint Powers Authority (being discussed by public leadership) of Parkway adjacent city governments with the County.

A major role of the nonprofit would be to generate an endowment fund to provide supplementary maintenance funding, like fixing the bike trail.

An advantage of nonprofit management is that nonprofits can leverage donations governments can’t, and the Sacramento Zoological Society (which has managed the Sacramento Zoo under contract with the city for years, and the Central Park Conservancy in New York which has managed one of the nations premier urban parks for years, have done just that.


Back-seat driver:
By Tony Bizjak - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 6:29 am PDT Monday, March 12, 2007
Story appeared in METRO section, Page B1


Downriver from the prison, Sacramento voters a few years ago approved a tax increase with an extra $1 million annually for the recreation trail in the American River Parkway.

But, the devil is in the details. Some cities were hoping last week they could dip into the pot for bike lanes leading to the parkway.

Nope, Sacramento Transportation Authority officials decided. The money stays in the parkway.

Unfortunately, it doesn't start arriving until 2009. Gary Kukkola, head of regional parks, said his agency can hardly wait.

"We're on a shoestring," he said.

The parkway trail could use some more maintenance and more rangers on patrol, Kukkola said. There also is talk of extending the Two Rivers trail on the south side of the river to connect to Sacramento State.

Meanwhile, someone sprayed white paint along the trail's biggest cracks. So, if you can't avoid them, at least you can see them coming.