Plan for trail along railroad line chugging along

By Jeremy Twitchell

Wednesday, March 18, 2009 | 10:35 p.m.

A planned trail that would run from one end of Henderson to the other along the Union Pacific Railroad Line got enthusiastic reviews Wednesday night at its final public meeting.

The $35.1 million trail will be almost 13 miles long, beginning at Paradise Hills Drive and running alongside the railroad line to Pecos Road, where it will join into a Clark County trail that is to one day have 21 miles of its own.

The project is being funded by the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act, which uses a portion of the proceeds of federal land auctions to fund local parks, trails and conservation projects.

Henderson Park Planner Patricia Ayala said the railroad trail will further the city's goal to provide connectivity in its trail system by connecting to several other trails and six parks along its course.

"In our master plan surveys, this is one of the highest things people are looking for -- the ability to not to have to use the streets, but get out on the trails for walking, jogging and cycling," Ayala said.

Henderson resident Alan O'Neill, who was one of a few dozen residents who attended the meeting, said he liked the plan because of the connectivity.

"Because it bisects the city, it allows connectivity to many of the other trails," he said. "That's what people want -- connectivity. They don't just want a little section of trail."

Ayala said the city has secured the right-of-way from Union Pacific to build the trail in the southern part of the corridor, from Acacia Park (located at U.S. 95 and Interstate 215) to Paradise Hills.

The plan still needs approval from the Henderson Parks Board and City Council, then needs to go through the design and bid phases, so construction is about a year away, Ayala said. Once it begins, construction should take about six months.

The timeline for the other half of the trail, however, is still in question, Ayala said. The city has not been able to secure the right-of-way in that part because of utility easements and other issues.

She said the city will have a better idea of where the process stands in August.

Project planners said the only concerns they've heard about the trail are about illegal motor vehicle activity and trail users having easy access to surrounding neighborhoods.

They said access points will have bars where possible to keep the vehicles out. Neighborhood access points to the trail have been identified, they said, but the city will only build the entrances in neighborhoods where residents request access.