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Hastings among trail grant recipients
The City of Hastings was among recipients of Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s grants providing funding for the Recreational Trails Program.
Commissioners approved the grant awards, totaling nearly $1.4 million, for the Recreational Trails Program during their meeting Jan. 19 in Lincoln.
Hastings received $250,000 to build Phase 4A of the Pioneer Spirit Trail, a concrete trail that will vary in width from 8 to 10 feet. It will extend about 3.5 miles through South Hastings from First Street and Colorado Avenue, where the city’s paved trail system currently ends, and connect to Carter Park, Lincoln Elementary School and Brickyard Park.
Phase 4A would be bid out late spring/early summer 2024. The start of construction is dependent on the contractor’s schedule.
Connected trail upon completion of the project would total about 13.3 miles. Total constructed trail upon completion of project would total more than 16 miles.
Including the $250,000 in grant funding, total costs for Phase 4A are currently estimated to be about $1.75 million. Other funds for the project are coming from the City of Hastings’ half-cent sales tax collections.
“We are thankful Phase 4A of the Pioneer Spirit Trail was among projects selected to receive Recreational Trails Program funding,” Parks and Recreation Director Jeff Hassenstab said. “This outside funding ensures the City’s half-cent sales tax dollars are going as far as possible.”
Hastings was one of 16 communities to apply for the Recreational Trails Program funding.
Commissioners approved federal funding through the Recreational Trails Program for these other projects as well:
- Hickman, $130,216.80 to build the Scott’s Creek Trail, a 1,250-foot-long, 10-foot-wide concrete trail that extends an existing trail;
- Cedar Creek, $250,000 to build the Fitness Zone Trail, a 4,400-foot-long concrete trail to promote health and wellness;
- Curtis, $250,000 to refurbish approximately 1.2 miles of the Curtis Walking Trail by replacing deteriorating asphalt with an 8-foot-wide concrete loop trail near the golf course;
- Creighton, $250,000 to build a non-motorized, mile-long paved Creighton Community Park Walking Trail that is no less than 8 feet wide to link different park amenities;
- North Platte, $250,000 to build the Iron Horse Park Trail, which includes overlaying the existing north side 8-foot-wide by 2,528-foot-long asphalt trail with 2 inches of recycled material pavement, building an 8-foot-wide by 512-foot-long recycled material pavement over rock aggregate trail on the east, and creating a south-side trail linkage with a 10-foot-wide by 100-foot-long boardwalk and 283 feet of additional recycled pavement/aggregate trail to meet an existing sidewalk.
Funding for the RTP comes from the Federal Highway Administration and is made possible by a portion of the federal motor fuel excise tax paid by users of off-road recreational vehicles.
Published Date: 01/22/2024