www.Get2KnowTheMetroEast.com Madison County & St. Clair County Recreational Trails

The Madison County Transit Nickel Plate Trail is the longest of the county’s trails and perhaps the most diverse in its scenery. It offers views of woods and farmland, parks, neighborhoods and historic districts in both Edwardsville and Glen Carbon, such as the Historic Leclaire area. Photo courtesy of: MCT District.

Madison & St. Clair Counties Recreational Trail Guide

www.Get2KnowTheMetroEast.com Madison County & St. Clair County Recreational Trails

Blazing a Trail Through the Metro-EastIf you were to ask residents throughout the Metro-East what the benefits of living here are, the widespread bike trails spanning throughout the region would be mentioned more than once. The Metro-East’s bike trail infrastructure is a well-kept recreational asset and transportation option offered to communities throughout the area. As of 2016, there are 177 miles of bike trails located throughout the Metro-East, a majority of which are interconnected and asphalt. Numerous organizations and municipalities deserve credit for this vast trail system, including Madison County Transit District and St. Clair County Transit District, both of which have made trails a top priority for the Metro-East region.

Due to how intricate this immense trail system is, it has been a long process in the making. More than 20 years ago, Madison County Transit (MCT) began blazing a new “trail” – both literally and figuratively speaking. In 1993, MCT was given authorization to begin developing rails-to-trails conversions, trails built in the right-of-way of abandoned railroad tracks.

Over the course of the next twenty years, MCT would obtain more than 115 miles of former railroad corridors and convert them into nine scenic bike trails, known as the MCT Trails. Spanning over 130 miles and connecting 20 communities throughout the Metro-East, the MCT Trails form one of the most extensive and interconnected bikeway systems in the country.

“Since 1993, Madison County Transit (MCT) has acquired, constructed and maintained more than 130 miles of scenic Class One bikeways, known as the MCT Trails,” said MCT Managing Director Jerry Kane. “This interconnected trail system, which represents a $30 million investment in the quality of life for Madison County residents and visitors, would not have been possible without the vision of the MCT Board of Trustees, the efforts of MCT’s hard working staff, and the financial support of the State of Illinois, the Metro East Park & Recreation District and many partnering municipalities.”

Covering 1,500 acres of greenways and containing 46 bridges and 25 tunnels, the MCT trail system offers an eye-catching array of scenery to visitors of all ages and skill levels. All of MCT Trails are considered “Class One,” meaning they are completely independent of road traffic. The trails have overpasses and underpasses at almost every road crossing making the trails safe for families and everyone to enjoy. The nine bikeways are famous for their seven interconnected loops, which prevent cyclists from having to pass the same place twice. The unique seven loops are a magnet for cyclists throughout the Metro-East, the state of Illinois, and even throughout the country. A MCT-initiated survey indicated that 50 percent of MCT Trail users live outside of Madison County and 26 percent live out of state.

HORSESHOELAKE

STATE PARK

Nickel Plate Trail

Schoolhouse Trail

Schoolhouse Trail

Nick

el Pl

ate T

railNature Trail

Nature Trail

Goshen Trail

Goshen Trail

Heritage Trail

10 Miles

15.3 Miles

17.6 Miles

22.9 Miles

25.7 Miles

26.1 Miles

31.1 Miles

GRANITECITY

PONTOONBEACH

COLLINSVILLE

MARYVILLE

EDWARDSVILLE

GLENCARBON

SIUE

The MCT Confluence Trail offers cyclists and trail-goers some of the Riverbend’s best scenery and waterfront wildlife, as it has views of the Mississippi River, the Clark Bridge and a 900’ bridge over Wood River Creek. Photo courtesy of: MCT District

Facts About the Madison County Transit District MCT Trails

» 9 MCT Trails » 130 Miles of Trails » 46 Trail Bridges » 25 Trail Tunnels » 1500 Acres of Greenways » 7 Interconnected Loops

www.Get2KnowTheMetroEast.com Madison County & St. Clair County Recreational Trails

The trail does not end there. Nearly 15 years ago when the MetroLink was being built, St. Clair County Transit District envisioned a bike trail system that paralleled the MetroLink connecting communities throughout the Metro-East. In 2005, that vision began to become a reality when the first section of the MetroBikeLink was constructed in the city of Belleville. The next extension was built in 2011, and for the following three years after, a segment was added to the trail system every year. The latest addition to the trail will be completed this year, extending to the east to the Shiloh and Scott Air Force Base Station. Next year, two additional segments are slated for construction completion.

“The St. Clair County Transit District’s bike trail, known as MetroBikeLink is both a transportation link and a recreational asset. It provides commuters with a way to walk or bike to a MetroLink station, and it provides recreational users with connections to other trails within the County,” said Bill Grogan, Managing Director of St. Clair County Transit District. “The core of MetroBikeLink is in place now and new extensions are in the design and construction phases. The variety of transportation options and good recreational opportunities provided by MetroBikeLink is critical to maintaining the excellent quality of life our citizens desire and deserve.”

The MetroBikeLink invites cyclists of all skill levels, as the asphalt is mostly flat with gentle inclines. The trail offers a variety of scenic attractions, such as woods, farmland, hillsides, a college campus and city neighborhoods. The trail is equipped with bridges to prevent crossing roadway traffic. Water fountains, rest shelters and emergency call boxes make the trail both safe and convenient for traveling families or individual cyclists.

The MetroBikeLink’s top priority is providing a safe, accessible trail system that not only connects neighborhoods throughout the Metro-East, but connects the people as well.

The Madison County Transit District and St. Clair County Transit District have gone above and beyond with these trail systems to provide a fun, safe recreational activity for residents and guests throughout the region. The trail systems also serve as a major source of travel for the people of the Metro-East. MCT has developed one of the only integrated bus and bikeway systems in the country, with all 89 buses having bike racks. Today MCT reports more than 2,000 bicycle boardings on its buses every month. The MetroLink accommodates all cyclists traveling with bicycles, and St. Clair County Transit District has plans to help area commuters stretch their trips farther by extending the bike trail to reach more MetroLink stations.

With connections to parks, neighborhoods, cultural centers, college campuses and commercial areas, these trail systems provide an immersive view of the Metro-East’s communities and its variety of natural surroundings. The trails not only enhance the quality of life for local residents, but for visitors throughout the state and throughout the country. The development of these trails attracts homebuyers and travelers to the Metro-East, causing economical growth and an increase in the population across the area. These trails have a positive impact on the region, and the effort to improve and expand these trails is continuous, as expansions are constantly being developed to connect and impact even more communities. The local combined effort to create and maintain this bike trail infrastructure has truly added value and life to the Metro-East, making it an even greater place to live and bike.

Just west of the Belleville MetroLink station, the St. Clair County Transit District’s MetroBikeLink Trail intersects with the Richland Creek Greenway Trail, which runs alongside Richland Creek and through seven city parks in Belleville. Photo Courtesy of: Thouvenot, Wade & Moerchen.

Facts About the St. Clair County Transit District MetroBikeLink Trails

» 10.6 Miles of Trails » 7 Trail/Roadway crossings (at grade) » 1 Trail/Railway crossing (at grade) » 15 Trail Bridges » 2 Trail Boardwalks » 1 Trail Tunnels » 5 Metro Stations reached » 4 Schools connected » 5 Trail connectors to various

neighborhoods

www.Get2KnowTheMetroEast.com Madison County & St. Clair County Recreational Trails

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