OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — An abandoned railroad corridor near 72nd and Girard St. will become a new trail. CHI Health says that 1-3 North O residents think not having access to a trail is a barrier to their physical well being.
- The future trail is a team effort with the Papio NRD designing it, CHI Health donating the land, and the city of Omaha to maintain it.
- Construction is set to begin in the spring.
- Video shows the overgrown area with trees, weeds, plants and more.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Believe it or not this overgrown area used to be part of the railroad system. Near 72nd and Girard plans are in motion to re-purpose this into a walking trail.
Trails and walking paths are something more neighbors in North Omaha want.
"We've heard from our neighbors that one in three feel like not having access to a trail is a barrier to their physical well-being," said Mike Masker, Director of Rehab CHI Health Immanuel Rehabilitation Institute.
It's something we've been following for months now after talking to Willie Williams and other North O neighbors in January who were fighting for the North Omaha Trail expansion.
"It allows everyone to feel a part of the community - a sense of belonging, a sense of inclusion, a sense of who they are, a sense of letting people know that, hey you are a wonderful part of the city... you're a part of this," said Willie Williams.
Here another opportunity to expand the trail system with a half-mile corridor stretching from east of 72nd Street going up to Girard St. that was abandoned by the railroad in 1977.
3 Nwws Now reporter Jill Lamkins spoke with Eric Williams with the Papio Missouri River NRD who tells us most of the major trail systems in the Omaha metro run along the creeks, going north to south. Now they want east-west connections.
"We do have a great system but people don't always have access to it. You can put a bike in a car and drive it to a trail. But we'd really rather see people walk or run or ride down to the trail directly from where they live or to and from their office," said Williams.
The future trail is a team effort with the NRD designing it, CHI Health donating the land, and the city of Omaha to maintain it.
Williams says the last group to sign off is the city. Construction is set to start in the spring.
