MAG to Conduct Trail Design Workshop for Rivers through West Valley

PHOENIX (September 25, 2000) — West Valley residents interested in helping to create a 42-mile system of paths stretching from New River to Avondale are encouraged to attend a Trail Design Workshop October 6 -7.

The one-and-a-half day workshop will be held Friday, October 6 from 1:30 - 4:30 p.m. and Saturday, October 7 from 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. in the Student Lounge at Glendale Community College, 6000 W. Olive Avenue, Glendale. The workshop is free, but participants are asked to register by calling Dawn Coomer at (602) 254-6300.

During the workshop, meeting participants will work with project team members to help shape and create the best design for the non-motorized system of paths along the New River and Lower Agua Fria River. Participants will identify specific trail alignments, linkages and amenities and will help develop solutions to project issues such as neighborhood access.

The New River and Lower Agua Fria Multi-Modal Corridor Study is a planned 42-mile system of urban and rural trails. The trails will be designed with pedestrians, hikers, bicyclists and equestrians in mind, and the pathways will link homes, businesses, schools and recreation destinations. The study is sponsored by the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) with funding through the Arizona Department of Transportation, and with support from the Flood Control District of Maricopa County.

"We want these trails to maintain the rich diversity of plant and animal habitats, cultural and historic resources, and beautiful vistas found along the river," said MAG Transportation Planner Dawn Coomer. "Protecting these features from the adverse effects of rapid urban development is a main function of the study. In essence, we're conserving the river by turning it into a trail corridor. We need input from residents living near the corridor to help us create the most user-friendly pathways possible," she said.

The trail study corridor stretches southwest from the community of New River to the convergence of the Lower Agua Fria with the Gila River. Several jurisdictions within Maricopa County are connected by the Corridor including Avondale, Glendale, Goodyear, Peoria, Phoenix, and the community of New River.