Local bike‑ped group asks Madison County to embed multi‑use trails in comprehensive plan

At the March 25, 2025 meeting of the Madison County Fiscal Court, a group advocating for multi‑use trails urged county leaders to include active‑transportation planning in the county's upcoming comprehensive plan update.

The group — which formed in January 2024 and calls itself the Rhiney Bee — told the court it has bylaws and a board and that it wants to serve as a local partner to identify funding, easements and maintenance support for trails linking towns, parks and historic sites across the county. Beth Jenkins, a retired board member and presenter, said the group includes a county representative appointed by Judge Reagan Taylor and representatives from the city of Richmond.

"We've got bylaws. We've got a board," Jenkins said, describing the group's structure and its offer to be a local resource for trail development. She said the group has met with Richmond and Berea officials and wants to help Bell Engineering and county staff add a recreation‑trails section to the county's comprehensive plan.

The group's presentation highlighted public‑health and economic research suggesting active‑transportation networks can improve health outcomes and attract residents and businesses. Presenter Beth Jenkins cited examples from Bentonville, Arkansas, and the Brighton Trail in Lexington, saying trails can become a quality‑of‑life draw that complements local economic development efforts. Jacob Pogo, Madison County forester, thanked the court for the Arbor Day proclamation and said healthy forests and trails are complementary assets.

Presenters described practical next steps they want the county to take: include trail planning in the comprehensive plan update, identify easements during development review, coordinate regional trail priorities with Richmond and Berea, and pursue grants and fundraising. Jenkins noted the group has discussed rail‑bed opportunities but said some corridors have been built over and would be difficult to convert.

Magistrates and staff responded with questions and encouragement. A magistrate asked whether any group members had participated in the county's previous comprehensive plan; presenters said the earlier bike‑walk group had lapsed and the new organization was not the same continuity group. The court also referenced a prior local resolution encouraging the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to incorporate multi‑use paths into road projects and discussed a 2018 Madison County bike/walk plan that the presenters said is no longer available on the public website.

Bell Engineering is slated to include a recreation‑trails section in the Richmond plan update, and presenters said they have spoken with Richmond's city manager, Rob Meinrich, and with Berea officials about aligning plans regionally. No formal action or funding request was taken by the fiscal court during the March 25 meeting; magistrates expressed support and invited the group to participate in planning discussions.

The presentation lasted about an hour and included maps showing state bike routes that run through Madison County and several local destination ideas, such as the Richmond Regional Park and historic sites. Presenters emphasized that planning now—while corridors are still undeveloped—would make future trail construction more feasible.

The court did not vote on any trail measures; Jenkins and other group members said they will continue meeting with county staff and regional partners to pursue coordinated planning and grant opportunities.