PONTOON BEACH - The month of May is National Bike Month, and with more than 138 miles of scenic, Class I bikeways, Madison County Transit (MCT) is celebrating all month long on the MCT Trails with a variety of activities. MCT recently released the latest MCT Trails scavenger hunt, launched a new MCT Trails survey, and will be participating in several community events this month.
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SCAVENGER HUNT
The MCT Trails Bike Month 2023 Scavenger Hunt has returned with new and engaging activities. Popular in years past, the scavenger hunt is facilitated though the “GooseChase” app. Participants who download the free app and sign up to play receive weekly missions to complete along the MCT Trails. Participants will explore newly opened trails and areas they may have never ventured, while being reminded of trail safety and rules in creative ways. Trailgoers playing along will also receive a local history lesson about Madison County and the MCT Trails. The scavenger hunt is free and includes missions suitable for trailgoers of all ages. Those who have participated in the past will recognize some fan-favorite missions, while receiving several new challenges as well. The hunt will be available through May 31, so interested participants have plenty of time to join and complete the missions!
To participate in the MCT Trails Scavenger Hunt, participants simply download the free application, “GooseChase” on their mobile device. Once downloaded, they should search for “MCT Trails Bike Month 2023 Scavenger Hunt” or game code “9D3RJG” and join the game as a guest or create a free account to play. GooseChase then provides a list of available missions created by MCT, which can be completed at any time before May 31. For each successful mission completed participants are awarded points. At the end of this year’s event, participants with the top 3 scores will receive a prize from MCT.
MCT TRAILS SURVEY
To commemorate National Bike Month and to demonstrate MCT’s commitment to providing MCT Trails users with the best possible experience, MCT is also conducting a survey to collect feedback from trailgoers. The survey can be found by scanning the QR code on the yard signs currently placed along the MCT Trails, or by visiting the MCT Trails website (wwwmcttrails.org). Scavenger hunt participants can receive 1,000 points for completing the MCT Trails Survey.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
To continue the celebration and engage with MCT Trails users, staff will attend R.E.C Fest at the National Great Rivers Museum in Alton on Saturday, May 13 and will take part in the “Bike & Hike to Breakfast” on Saturday, May 20 as part of the Land of Goshen Community Market in downtown Edwardsville. In addition, MCT will begin soliciting public feedback on the MCT Trails Master Plan with the assistance of HeartLands Conservancy. HeartLands is providing formal planning and public engagement services to develop a comprehensive MCT Trails Master Plan. Once complete, this plan will inform future MCT Trails developments aimed at enhancing mobility, improving connectivity to local destinations, closing gaps in the regional trails network, increasing safety and accessibility for all trail users, supporting economic development, and enhancing the quality of life for Madison County residents and visitors.
“Madison County has become an outdoor recreation destination because of the more than 138 miles of scenic bikeways in the MCT Trails system, so there is no better place to celebrate National Bike Month than Madison County, Illinois,” said MCT Managing Director SJ Morrison. “As always, we encourage residents and visitors to explore the MCT Trails, complete the survey, participate in the scavenger hunt, or stop by one of our booths and say hello!”
For more information about the MCT Trails, taking the MCT Trails Survey, commenting on the MCT Trails Master Plan, or how to participate in National Bike Month activities visit www.mcttrails.org, call (618) 797-INFO (4636), e-mail trails@mct.org, or find MCT Trails on Facebook and Instagram.
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