With the help of state funding, Park County commissioners hope to plan some new biking and walking trails around Powell.

As Powell continues to grow, more people are walking and biking along designated truck routes and other roads, said Park County Engineer Brian Edwards; areas on the northern and western edges of the city have become particularly popular.

“The goal of this planning project is for Park County to partner with the City of Powell and [Northwest College] in exploring ways to expand the designated biking and walking trail areas to include rural developing areas outside the city limits,” Edwards said. “Ultimately the [overarching] goal is to minimize the potential for vehicle/pedestrian versus vehicle conflicts.”

The city already has a biking/walking trail that runs north from Homesteader Park along the city’s stormwater ponds to Lane 8H/14th Street before heading west to the Park County Annex and doubling back to Northwest College along Absaroka Street.

The county has suggested that the bike path could be extended to the west along Lane 8H and Seventh Street, eventually reaching NWC’s Trapper Village West.

However, “this is very rough at this point,” Edwards said, “and we have not ultimately decided the best locations to expand and improve designated biking/walking trails.”

Input from city and NWC leaders and the general Powell community would be sought before any routes are finalized, he said — and the whole effort is contingent on getting state funding.

Last month, county commissioners voted to pursue a $40,000 planning grant from the Wyoming Department of Transportation’s Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) program; if the money is approved by WYDOT, the county would chip in $10,000 of its own cash (20 percent) for the $50,000 study.

“Hopefully this [study] will be a first step to additional funding through this program to actually develop some routes,” Edwards said.

The county is in the midst of an effort to slash $2 million worth of expenditures, but commissioners unanimously agreed on July 16 to tentatively add the $10,000 to this year’s budget.

As someone who’s “very conservative” with the county budget, Commissioner Lloyd Thiel said he felt “bad” for making the motion to spend additional money on the biking/walking route planning effort. However, “I truly believe this is a safety issue that gets pedestrians off of our truck [routes],” he said.

Thiel suggested the spending would be worth it if the planning prevented one accident.

“I know we don’t really have the money right now,” he said, “but I still stand behind my motion.”

Commission Chairman Jake Fulkerson agreed, saying he thought the county needed to take advantage of the $4 to $1 match offered by the state.

Park County officials should learn in November whether their $40,000 request will be approved.

The county’s application is among 18 that were submitted to WYDOT for TAP funding. In total, they seek more than $3.5 million. WYDOT officials have warned that not all of the proposals will be funded, as the program has only about $2.1 million available this year.

“There is quite a bit of competition,” Edwards said, adding, “Hopefully we are successful.”

Meanwhile, Powell Economic Partnership leaders are also working on ways to further develop outdoor recreation in the Powell area. The possible projects brainstormed by the group to date include building a bike park in town, a historic trail to Polecat Bench, trails along irrigation canals and improved access to the Shoshone River and McCullough Peaks.