Statement of Friends of Rapid City Parks to Rapid City Council, May 7, 2012.
Friends was founded in 2005 to advocate for our parks. We have more than 100 members and have mobilized up to 300 supporters on issues affecting the parks. Tonight we are speaking in support of the proposal by Destination Rapid City to create the Memorial Park Promenade. This is a creative and generous idea, the most recent of many aimed at connecting the heart of our park system with the heart of downtown.
We applaud Destination Rapid City for their initiative and wish them every success in this appropriate addition to Memorial Park. We do however ask the council and other supporters of this proposal to recognize this as a first step, not a “mission accomplished.” The major obstacle keeping downtown strollers from walking to the Civic Center, and Civic Center visitors from meandering downtown after an event is not Memorial Park. It is not the winding path. It is Omaha Street.
Just four years ago Destination Rapid City, with support from Friends, proposed a pedestrian bridge over Omaha to facilitate walkers and bicyclers in crossing. The State DOT did not agree at the time, and the proposal was put on hold, with urging by the Rapid City Journal editorial board that “Regardless, the city/community discussion should move forward.”
Most recently, we learned from an international parks expert that walkers and riders don’t use elevated crossings, but they do use underpasses.
A year ago, experts who developed a master plan for pedestrian and bicycle paths in Rapid City heard repeatedly that Omaha Street is difficult to cross. They made several recommendations, some of which have been implemented, others not yet.
Friends urges the council and Destination Rapid City to use the proposed Promenade as an opportunity to do some evaluation of options. Let’s take a look at the recommendations in the master plan. Let’s get a baseline on pedestrian and bike crossing now, and again after the Promenade is completed. And let us keep the conversation going.
Thank you