Filling in the cracks
We counted 271 cracks along the width of the Black Otter Trail between Yellowstone Kelly’s Interpretive Site and the airport roundabout.
These cracks need to be sealed and the entire trail needs to be seal coated.
The parks department has not had the maintenance funds to seal coat any of the trails, which, according to Parks & Rec, should be done no more than three years after the trail has been created.
This grant is through the Trail Stewardship Program administered through Montana’s Fish, Wildlife & Parks, and the money comes partially from the $5 optional vehicle registration fee and from the marijuana tax.
showing people where to go
Our trails lack signs! Unless you are very familiar with the trail system, in many cases there is no way to know where the fork in the trail goes.
Billings TrailNet is submitting a grant application to install much-needed signs along the Coulson Park – Kiwanis Trail – Alkali Creek route.
Safer trail connection
We would like to pave in concrete, an important trail connection to Lillis Park and Will James Middle School. This trail spur will provide a safe route to these places while also providing continuity in the trail system.
There is a bike/ped path on either side of Broadwater Ave. The crossing includes a pedestrian safety island and pedestrian-activated signal; yet once trail users cross the road, they must travel down a sidewalk several hundred feet along Broadwater Avenue in order to get back on the trail.
The current configuration is not only uncomfortable, but biking on the sidewalk is unsafe due to the sharp turns and adjacent location to the road with a high volume of high-speed traffic. For bicyclists traveling south on the path, the configuration of the crosswalk at the park is particularly dangerous because their back is facing the direction of oncoming traffic, making it difficult to ensure traffic has stopped before entering the crosswalk. Additionally, the sidewalk is narrower than the multi-use path and it is difficult for bicyclists or those using mobility devices to pass others on the sidewalk, which is unsafe near this high speed, busy road.
Billings TrailNet has received numerous comments from the public on improving access to Lillis Park. There is currently a user-created trail through the grass where bicyclists shortcut to the trail, indicating this is a highly desired location for a trail connection. Billings TrailNet will pave this trail spur, connecting the existing multi-use path in Lillis Park directly to the crosswalk eliminating the current dangers of navigating sharp angles and traveling on a narrow sidewalk adjacent to a busy street.