Allen Smith, program host, invited Scott Myers and Don Potts, as guest speakers for the October 24 meeting of the West Milton Rotary Club. Scott is the Deputy Director of the Miami County Parks District and Don is a Union Township representative on the Miami County Trails committee. Scott provided a history of the Trails Task Force formed in 2000 to help pass a Park District levy of $150,000 per year for ten years to construct a north-south bike trails along the Great Miami River in Miami County.  This levy helped generate $5.5 million in grant funds. They worked with the Miami Valley Regional Parks Committee to help for bike trails as part of a system to connect Troy to Cincinnati. The section from Tipp City to Ross Road in Montgomery County was completed this summer. There are two short gaps between Troy and Piqua that are scheduled to be completed in the next year or two. The one section will be aided by a $250,000 donation from the Duke Foundation. Don presented information on the advantages of having bike trails around the Lowry Complex that would not only provide about 2 miles of bike trails but also be safe paths for students to ride bikes to the new K-12 school. He is hoping that these new bike trails can be part of a future Safe Route to Schools Grant.
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