Sangamon Valley Trail
Encyclopedia
The Sangamon Valley Trail is a 5.5 miles (8.9 km) rail trail
Rail trail
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...

 on the west side of Sangamon County
Sangamon County, Illinois
Sangamon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 197,465, which is an increase of 4.5% from 188,951 in 2000...

 in the U.S. state of Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

. Skirting Springfield, Illinois
Springfield, Illinois
Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area...

, it extends from Centennial Park, on Springfield's southwest side, to Stuart Park on the same city's northwest side. It was constructed by a Sangamon County team in 2010-2011 at a cost of $3.8 million, and opened to the public on July 26, 2011.

Future

The current Trail is a segment of a 38 miles (61.2 km) right-of-way that has been set aside for rail trail use. The entire right-of-way connects Girard, Illinois
Girard, Illinois
Girard is a city in Macoupin County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,245 at the 2000 census, and 2,152 at a 2009 estimate.-Geography:Girard is located at ....

, on the south end, to Athens, Illinois
Athens, Illinois
Athens is a city in Menard County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,726 at the 2000 census, and 1,778 at a 2009 estimate. It is part of the Springfield, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

, at the north end. The right-of-way spans the western half of Sangamon County in a north-south direction, and also traverses small sections of Macoupin County
Macoupin County, Illinois
Macoupin County is a county located in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 47,765, which is a decrease of 2.6% from 49,019 in 2000. The county seat is Carlinville. Macoupin County is an outlying county of the Metro-East region...

 and Menard County.

The right-of-way occupies an abandoned segment of the St. Louis, Peoria and North Western Railway
St. Louis, Peoria and North Western Railway
The St. Louis, Peoria and North Western Railway was a short-lived and nominally independent railroad of 114.6 miles in length. It extended from near Benld, Illinois, its southern end, to Peoria, Illinois at its northern end...

, later consolidated into the Chicago and North Western Railroad. The primary metropolitan area served is the greater Springfield, Illinois metropolitan area
Springfield, Illinois metropolitan area
The Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of two counties in Central Illinois, anchored by the city of Springfield...

.

Population in the trail's service area in western Sangamon County is growing rapidly .
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK