SPRINGFIELD - The Village of Godfrey is "ecstatic" about Governor J.B. Pritzker's announcement that it will receive $200,000 of $2.6 million in IDNR Bike Path Grants.
The grants go to 16 local projects. The grants will help communities acquire, develop, and improve bike path facilities throughout Illinois.
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"This will kick start our ability to acquire and develop a 1-mile segment of the Fred Widman Bike Trail and be a kick start in the right direction in our overall goal to connect to the Sam Vadalbene Trail. We are very excited about it."
Gov. Pritzker explained the grants with the following statement: “The bike path projects are excellent investments in safe transportation, creating jobs, boosting local economic development efforts, and improving local and regional recreation opportunities. Trails are great places for bike riders, hikers, joggers, and families to enjoy spending time outdoors in our beautiful state.”
Funds for the Bicycle Path Grant Program, administered by Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), are for the acquisition of land or development of facilities for bicycle paths. In 1989 the Bicycle Path Grant Program was approved by the Illinois General Assembly and funding comes from a percentage of motor vehicle title fees. The program provides a maximum grant award of $200,000 per application for development projects, with no maximum grant award for acquisition projects.
For this round of grants, a total of 17 applications were received, representing a combined request of $2.7 million. Combined with previous years’ funding, IDNR has awarded grants that have helped develop nearly 1,000 miles of local government bicycle trails in Illinois since 1990.
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