CASS COUNTY, Neb., (WOWT) – Plans for a controversial hiking and biking trail connection south of Omaha have come to a screeching halt as recreation groups and several residents along the route squared off.
Riders in the Bellevue bicycle Club will peddle their way to Lincoln when an eight-mile connection of the MoPac Trail is finished, but the Cass County Board of Commissioners voted to pull back an agreement to complete the section.
“This is going to go through people’s front yards and I have concerns it’s going to negatively effect people’s property values and people’s homes,” said county commissioner Dan Stohlman.
Like Preston Derby, who says the trial will cross his driveway.
“Coming out of here, I wouldn’t want to hit a bicycler or a runner,” Preston said.
The safest route for the eight-mile connector would cross nine driveways, and much of the discussion about the proposed route isn’t just about safety, but liability.
Cycle club member Mike McGee tells the Cass County Board a trail separate from the roadways will be safer.“We don’t want to get hit by the farm equipment and I don’t want to put him in position to hit one of us,” Mike said. “That’s a loss for everybody, but a separated trail makes it safe for everybody.”The Lower Platt South NRD estimates spending $12-15 million on the connector with $4,000 already paid for a consultant’s study.‘We’re looking for ideas," said Mike Sousek, the NRD general manager. “We need to overcome this. it’s the district coming in with a CAT […]
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