During their meeting this morning (Monday), the Carroll County Board of Supervisors pledged $15,000 in matching funds for a proposed trail in Arcadia to connect the community with its ballfield. Representatives from the Arcadia Share the Road project, Pat Vogl, Bruce Vonnahme, May Vonnahme, and others, have been planning for this project for several years. Vogl, who works with the Arcadia Betterment and Development Corporation, says the community has seen increasing foot and bike traffic along 185th Street and Division Street with new housing developments, and residents are concerned about safety.
Due to space constraints, an entirely new trail would not be constructed. Instead, they hope to widen the roadway and create an adjacent walking/biking path. Initial estimates for the first phase of the project are around $130,500. Vogle says they are also planning to extend the sidewalks in those neighborhoods.
The second phase is estimated at $19,000, bringing the total project cost to $149,500. According to Vogl, they are pursuing many grant opportunities to finance the project, but many of them require some form of matching funds. The City of Arcadia is planning to contribute $15,000 to the effort, which is the same amount they are asking of the county. The supervisors voted 4-0 to support the contribution out of Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) funds, contingent on the group securing enough funding for the project. Organizers hope to complete the project as soon as possible, but it could be delayed to 2027 to coincide with scheduled road maintenance on 185th Street.
