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County backs plan for new Clinton County trail, approves speed-study to lower Union Road limit
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Summary
Commissioners agreed to support a planned multi-segment trail connecting TPA Park, Wesley Manor and the lagoons, authorized signage/striping work paid for by volunteers and advocates, and voted to proceed with a county-funded speed study for the Union Road segment between the railroad tracks and Lagoon Drive.
Carol Price, representing the Clinton County Friends of Trails, and Laura, executive director of Healthy Communities, walked the commissioners through a proposed multi-segment trail that would link the utility office near State Road 75, TPA Park, Wesley Manor and the lagoons.
Presenters asked the county to permit painted shared-use markings and "share the road" signs on the county-owned stretch of Union Road between the railroad tracks and Lagoon Drive, install one-sided pavement striping to notify motorists, and lower the county-managed speed limit from 50 mph to 25 mph for that short segment. They said the city owns the portion from SR 75 to the tracks and that flashing, user-activated warning lights at SR 75 would require city or state approval. The presenters said they have about $25,000 committed for initial trail construction and will pay for signage and striping; much of the construction is planned as volunteer-supported, and new trail segments would be 8 feet wide with an engineered base (not initially paved).
Commissioners asked procedural and enforcement questions. The presiding commissioner noted a statutory requirement for an engineering-based speed study to make a posted limit enforceable; commissioners discussed funding and timing and indicated the county could fund the study. After brief discussion about roadway width and one-sided striping, a motion to support the trail project and to authorize procurement of a speed study passed 3–0.
Board members said the proposal aligns with a long-standing Frankfort/Clinton County bicycle-pedestrian master plan and highlighted the trail’s potential to connect existing amenities. The presenters and commissioners said they expect to move quickly so construction can begin this summer, subject to city cooperation and formal speed-study results.
Next steps the board identified include county staff (Rick) arranging the speed study, coordinating with city officials on SR 75 measures, and returning to the board with study results and formal signage/striping plans.
