As this recent story from the Bee notes, it is truly wonderful to see the bike access to the American River Parkway expand, and the dream of eventually riding around the county without leaving a bikeway, comes closer to reality.
However, during this period of under-funding for basic maintenance and public safety on the existing Parkway, one does wonder about priorities; and further would ask how many grants have been written lately, for instance, to increase ranger patrols in the high-crime Lower Reach area of the Parkway.
Rio Linda bike trail to head north
The $2.4 million extension may encourage commuting on 2 wheels, officials say.
By Dirk Werkman -- Bee Staff Writer Published 2:15 am PDT Thursday, September 15, 2005
Sacramento County officials are spending $2.4 million to extend a Rio Linda bicycle trail that Supervisor Roger Dickinson hopes will someday go "all the way to Chico."
When the current project is completed later this year, the Sacramento Northern Bikeway will extend north to Elverta Road from its current terminus at M Street near Front Street in Rio Linda. It will be paved and landscaped with 750 new trees.
Bicyclists, walkers and horseback riders are expected to use the new 1.8-mile trail segment as they have long used a 10-mile section of the existing paved route between Rio Linda and Discovery Park in Sacramento.
According to Gerry Bestpitch, a member of the volunteer Equestrian Patrol, riders can get on the existing trail adjacent to Rio Linda's replica of the Front Street train depot that once served the community, can join the American River Parkway trail system at Discovery Park, and from there can connect with trails reaching into El Dorado County and eventually to Lake Tahoe.
For the rest of the story: http://www.sacbee.com/content/community_news/antelope_north_sacramento/story/13562896p-14403385c.html
