Kirksville Forest Lake Area Trail System (FLATS)

What is Kirksville FLATS?
Kirksville Forest Lake Area Trail System was formed to support the development of hike-bike trails from Kirksville, Missouri to nearby Thousand Hills State Park, and to also raise funds for the project. FLATS is a local organization dedicated to the new trailhead between Kirksville and the local state park, but it also devotes efforts to development of crosswalks, bike lanes, and sidewalks. FLATS is also an advocate of bicycle safety.

The FLATS Goal
FLATS's primary goal is to establish a 4 mile trail starting in downtown Kirksville and ending in Thousand Hills State Park. This trail would be a 10 ft wide paved surface exiting Kirksville to the west and entering the park from the south east. THe trail would link the existing hike-bike trails in the city with the state park's campgrounds, fishing, boat docks, restaurant and existing trails in the park. In the past, the number one reason cited by citizens of Kirksville for not enjoying Thousand Hills State Park more frequently was its distance from them. THis linking trail would be a potential solution to that issue, giving citizen one more way to enjoy the benefits of the park. FLATS is currently applying for a Federal grant called the Recreational Trails Program (RTP). This program provides money to the States to develop and maintain recreational trails. The RTP is an assistance program of the Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration. Along with the grant, local businesses will also be invited to donate to the trail and with their donation, they will receive recognition on the constructed trail. Community support for this trail is needed due to the fact that the initial portion of the trail will run in close contact with residential and business property until the trail leaves the populated areas from downtown to the park.

FLATS also participates in continual efforts to promote, improve, and construct crosswalks, bike lanes and sidewalks in the Kirksville area. This effort, along with the Kirksville-Thousand Hills connection trail, can help reduce automobile-bike collisions.

Why Support the FLATS Goal
Supporting FLATS is supporting the community. The completion of the Kirksville-Thousand Hills connection trail will be the completion of a destination trail, one that will attract tourism. Tourism creates revenue for the community. This will allow Kirksville to further compete with trail systems in Columbia, St. Louis and others in the southern parts of Missouri. This trail also has the potential to attract and help retain businesses in and around Kirksville. It will also promote an option for alternate transportation in Kirksville, and while people save money on gasoline, they will have more money to spend on retail goods. Linking the downtown area with the park will also create a sense of community empowerment. Businesses will be able to market their donations and in doing so gain business and better reputations within the community.

Having an expanded and safe trail system will also increase recreational opportunities and promote healthier lifestyle choices for citizens, improving quality of life at a broad scale. This trail will give individuals easy access for free exercise. It will also give groups like the youth and the elderly to be able to travel the town safely. Building this trail will help build the Kirksville community.

Who to Contact
Find more information about the FLATS organization and its updates in Kirksville by logging on to Facebook and becoming a supporters of the Forest Lake Area Trail System.

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You may also contact Royce Kallerud form Truman State University at rkallerud@sbcglobal.net

Also - Check out the attention Kirksville FLATS is getting on a mountain biking blog!
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