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Iowa City staff propose names, signage for Highway 1 and Highway 6 trail connection
Summary
City planning staff said a new trail connection across the Highway 6 bridge — funded in part by a statewide TAP grant — will add pedestrian and ADA access and staff proposed the names “Sunset Trail” (west) and “Sunrise Trail” (east) with additional wayfinding signs to tie the route into the larger network.
Sarah Walls, a representative from the Metropolitan Planning Organization, told the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Commission that the Highway 6 segment between Broadway and Fairmeadows is in design for 2025 and scheduled for construction in 2026, with bridge reconstruction and full trail access expected in 2028.
The project received “just shy of $700,000” through a statewide Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant, Walls said, and the construction will be timed with a Highway 6 bridge reconstruction. “Right now, if you've been down there ... it's not ADA accessible,” Walls said, adding that a last-fall count found “between 120 and 160 people a day” using the bridge despite the lack of accessible facilities.
Commission members and staff said the connection will close an east–west gap in the trail network. Walls described the initial configuration: a south-side side path will provide immediate access across the bridge, and pedestrian facilities will be included on the bridge’s north and south sides. She said a north-side trail segment is planned for a later phase but will require property acquisition and intersection work.
The commission discussed signage and wayfinding for the broader route. Walls said staff had refurbished older trail identification signs after resurfacing work on the Willow Creek Trail and proposed new signs for sections being completed this year. She and staff suggested giving the west segment a local name, “Sunset Trail,” and the east segment “Sunrise Trail,” citing local street names and neighborhood names at each end of the route.
Commissioners suggested adding map-style wayfinding signs at high-use nodes such as City Park and Willow Creek Park, and asked staff to check an inventory of older map signs that were installed “around 2004–2005.” Walls said funding is the limiting factor but that she could check the city’s GIS inventory and explore opportunities as segments are resurfaced or built.
The commission did not take a formal vote on naming at the meeting; staff presented the proposal for feedback and future planning. Staff indicated the TAP-funded build and bridge reconstruction together will substantially improve safety and accessibility along the corridor.
Ending: Staff will return with more detailed signage plans, cost estimates, and an implementation timeline as design work continues and as property or intersection issues for the north-side trail are resolved.
