Cyclists young and old want new connector to park

Sixth-grader leads way to push for extension of a bike path from Hunter Ridge subdivision to Rotary Park.

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By Christopher Magan, Staff Writer 2:51 PM Wednesday, January 13, 2010

BEAVERCREEK —Sixth-grader Libby Kim saw a problem she knew she could help solve.

Libby and nine other members of a local FIRST Lego League robotics group, which encourages students to use technology and teamwork to overcome obstacles, realized there was no good way to bicycle from their Hunter’s Ridge subdivision to Beavercreek’s Rotary Park and the rest of the city’s extensive trail network.

Libby’s group already needed to identify a way to improve their community for this year’s league competition with the theme “Smart Moves.”

So they decided supporting an extension of the city’s bike path system from Hunter’s Ridge Park to Rotary Park was the perfect fit.

“We’re just working on trying to make it safer in our community,” Kim said. “We like to go on bike rides and we realized it was hard to get to the park for Ritter’s ice cream.”

Libby and her friends have been appealing to local leaders to extend the bikeway. There is currently no easy way to ride from the subdivisions along Beaver Valley Road to the Creekside and other city bikeways.

“They are kind of land locked,” said Bill Beecroft, a member of the city’s bikeway committee. “This is a project we have wanted to do for sometime. There has been a lot of interest from the people who can benefit from it.”

Mike Thonnerieux, city parks director, estimates extending the trail 4,600 feet would cost about $270,000.

The city is in the process of applying for grant money from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources that would cover up to 80 percent of the costs.

City leaders should know if they win the grant money later this year and construction could begin as early as 2011.

That would mean more bike rides for Libby and her friends. “It’s a good way for people to get exercise and families to spend time together,” she said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2342 or cmagan@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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