Iowa Valley Bike Club donates time and effort to improve local bike path

Sun October 07 2007
Posted Oct 7, 2007
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By TIMES-REPUBLICAN For some, a muddy pathway is something to revel in, walk around, or ignore altogether. But when one paved area of the bike trail in Marshalltown was repeatedly washing mud onto the surface, one local organization decided enough was enough. The Iowa Valley Bicycle Club took action. Members of the club had money earmarked for a special project. The question was finding the right project. Members who frequently used the trail noticed that there was a particularly problematic spot at the underpass where it passes under East Main Street. Every time it rained, mud would slide down onto the path surface. So the club went to the city with a project — if the city could propose a solution, the bike club would try to find the labor and funds to put the plan into action. The city proposed a wall that engineers say should help stop the mud problem from occurring. “Our club provided the money to purchase the materials, which was around $2,500, and we are providing some of the labor,” said Kris McKibben, president of the Iowa Valley Bicycle Club. Another underpass going under the railroad tracks just to the south of the Main Street underpass also has some problems with rocks washing onto the path during heavier rains. However, McKibben said the mud was particularly problematic for bikes because it could be slippery and pose a safety hazard. That gives the project a dual purpose. “It’s a beautification of the trail as well as a functional improvement,” she said. Also, because one of the community’s Imagine 7 ideas is to become more pedestrian and bicycle friendly, it goes toward yet another goal for the city. The Iowa Valley Bicycle Club is celebrating its 33rd anniversary this month. McKibben said this project is the largest in the club’s history. For those interested in learning more about the bicycle club, an open house is planned Oct. 14, in the community building at Riverview Park. ——— Contact Ken Black at 641-753-6611 or kblack@ timesrepublican.com