Bettendorf Trails Committee outlines phased network expansion; council raises safety, micro-mobility and maintenance questions

Bettendorf's Committee of the Whole received an update April 20 from the Trails Committee and Parks & Recreation Director John Burns on proposed trail connectors aimed at improving neighborhood access, school connections and regional links.

Caleb Rogers, a Bettendorf resident and Trails Committee volunteer, reviewed work to reconcile the 2012/2013 master plan with current feasibility. He said the committee identified existing purple-coded trails and a series of green-coded suggested segments to fill network gaps and better connect destinations such as schools, downtown and the Plex.

The presentation framed trails as both quality-of-life and economic assets. Rogers cited national figures that proximity to trails can increase property values by 325 to 525 (with higher rates reported in some areas) and argued trails help attract residents and support local businesses.

Committee members proposed a typical design target of 10-foot separated trails for new segments, with limited 8-foot exceptions in constrained locations. Council member Scott asked about the Lincoln Road "hotspot" and whether a proposed connector there would be a full 10-foot separated trail or a wider sidewalk. Presenters said Lincoln Road is roughly a one-mile candidate segment and that project-specific feasibility and right-of-way constraints would determine the final cross-section.

Council members raised micro-mobility concerns. Council member Connor asked what share of local pedestrian and bicycle crashes involved e-bikes or electric scooters; presenters said statewide data (Des Moines) suggest a notable share of serious incidents involve juveniles, and recommended further coordination with Scott County Health to obtain local micro-mobility crash data. "If somebody's going to come flying by me with an e-bike and I'm on Lincoln Road, I would certainly rather have a 10-ft trail in between me and that cyclist than a 4-ft sidewalk," one presenter said.

Members also pressed for clarity on maintenance and funding: the committee asked council to consider trail connections during future road projects and to consider matching funds for grants. Council members suggested monthly or early reporting after any new programs (for example, drone deployment in a separate consent item) and emphasized coordination with ongoing regional wayfinding efforts to avoid duplicated signage.

Presenters characterized the trail effort as a 5-to-15-year program and requested high-level input rather than immediate funding; the committee will return with more exact mile counts, feasibility studies and cost estimates when specific segments are proposed.