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Welcome to the Save the Katy Bridge Coalition, Inc. Website.
The Save the Katy Bridge Coalition, Inc. is a not for profit organization with the mission to save the Historic Boonville MKT “Katy” Railroad Bridge for pedestrian use within the Katy Trail State Park.
The purpose for this website is to inform the public about the Coalition’s mission and to solicit pledged contributions for the conversion of the railroad bridge to pedestrian use. Your pledge will only be collected if the Katy Bridge is saved and approved for pedestrian use development. The Save the Katy Bridge Coalition has obtained its 501(c)(3). All contributionas, when made, are tax deductible.
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Your Pledge is Needed Now
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You can pledge your support to help save the MKT “Katy” Bridge by simply completing the pledge form link in the left column. Your pledge is a valuable resource for the future of MKT “Katy Bridge”. If you have been anticipating the possibility of pledging your support, now is the time.
Allstate Consultants completed an estimate of probable costs for developing the Katy Bridge for pedestrian use. The estimated cost is divided into two phases. Phase One would develop 900 feet of the north side of the bridge and 3,000 feet of trail approaching the bridge. The estimated cost of Phase One is $485,500. Phase Two would develop the south span plus replace the missing 62 feet of the approach bridge and also complete the lift span for pedestrian use. The estimated cost of Phase Two is $512,600.
Over 300,000 walkers, riders, and joggers from all over the world use the Katy Trail annually. The incorporation of the MKT “Katy” Bridge into the Katy Trail State Park would be a strong asset to tourism and economic development for the counties of Cooper and Howard, along with the collective Missouri River Communities Network and the State of Missouri. Tourism contributed over $13.4 billion to Missouri’s state revenue in 2004 which made tourism second only to agriculture in bringing dollars to the State.
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Jack Taylor Pledges $200,000
BOONVILLE – In a significant step toward achieving its $1 million goal, the Save the Katy Bridge Coalition, Inc. announced today that it has received a pledge of $200,000 from Jack C. Taylor, founder of the St. Louis-based Enterprise-Rent-A-Car.
With Taylor’s pledge, the not-for-profit group has now secured more than $365,000 in promised contributions – funds that would be used to help restore a railroad bridge over the Missouri River at Boonville, to become part of the Katy Trail State Park.
The coalition was formed in 2005 to secure pledges of financial support for a refurbishing project, once it has been determined that the bridge can be developed for pedestrian use. Paula Shannon, chairperson of the group’s steering committee, said hundreds of pledges have been made to date – by donors from across the state, and from as far as Alaska and Finland.
“We’re delighted to have Jack Taylor’s support,” said Shannon. “It’s exciting to know that he shares our vision for this historic structure, which could become the crown jewel of the Katy Trail, and a strong asset for tourism and economic development in the region.”
Taylor made the $200,000 pledge for what he called “sentimental reasons.” A native Missourian, Taylor supports a wide variety of charitable and civic causes in the state. “It’s true, I don’t do a lot of hiking or bicycling,” he said. “But I do appreciate the heritage of landmarks like the Katy Railroad Bridge, and I believe the Katy Trail is a valuable asset – one worth preserving and improving for future generations.”
Built in 1932, the distinctive steel bridge features a 432-foot lift span – a section of bridge that raises and lowers to allow the passage of barges on the river below. About $1 million worth of improvements would be required to convert the bridge to pedestrian use. Shannon said pledges made to the Save the Katy Bridge Coalition are designed to ensure that the conversion project would not require funding from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Pledges will be collected only after the bridge is approved for pedestrian use development.
On the net: www.savethekatybridge.org.
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Missouri Bicycle Federation
The Missouri Bicycle Federation is a statewide, not-for-profit, membership organization that advocates advancement of bicycling access, safety and education in Missouri. It was founded by Caryn Giarratano (the first Chair) and Mike Hoeferkamp (the first Treasurer) in 1993, and incorporated in the state of Missouri on November 17, 1994.
Below is a snippet from one of their newsletters -
Removal of MKT Bridge at Boonville "removes a margin of safety" for the Katy Trail
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Union Pacific railroad wants to move the MKT Bridge at Boonville, currently part of the Katy railroad corridor, to a different location and use it as part of an active railroad line.
The MKT Bridge is not currently used as part of the Katy Trail, but it is part of the underlying "railbanked" corridor that the Katy Trail is built on.
As the statewide bicycle advocacy organization in Missouri, the Missouri Bicycle Federation's position on the MKT Bridge issue is that the state of Missouri must do nothing that may endanger the Katy Trail as a whole.
This is the most important principle, important above all others, in the debate about the fate of the MKT Bridge.
The Missouri Bicycle Federation has obtained copies of the original "Interim Trail Agreement" that created the Katy Trail in 1987 and the Amendment to the Agreement signed in April 2005. These documents shed important light on the importance of the bridge to the entire Katy Trail.
To read more follow the link below:
http://www.mobikefed.org/2005/06/removal-of-mkt-bridge-at-boonville.php
Katy Trail Interim Trail Agreement and Agreement Revisions
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Negotiations between the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Union Pacific Railroad regarding the MKT railroad bridge near Boonville have a potential impact on the viability of the entire Katy Trail.
Finding the facts about this important issue requires knowing exactly what the original Katy Trail Interim Agreement says and exactly how the DNR and Union Pacific have now modified the agreement.
The Katy Trail is "railbanked". That means simply that it is a rail corridor that has not been abandoned, but which is being held in reserve for (possible) future reactivation is a rail corridor. In the meanwhile DNR can use it as a trail.
This type of trail use is a so-called "interim use".
Any action which disturbs the railbanked status of the Katy railroad corridor therefore may endanger all or part of the trail.
To read more follow the link below:
http://mobikefed.org/2005_06_01_newsletterarchive.html#112000048582875663
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