Back by popular demand, Jess from
BIKEIOWA.com shares what's on her radar in the Iowa cycling scene this weekend.
#FridayFives is a new series for Summer 2020 and we plan to share fun destinations, events and happenings each week.
For Week #13 it is:
1) MIDWEST DERECHO & TRAILS CLOSED
Central and Eastern Iowa had some extremely severe, and unexpected weather in Iowa this past Monday morning. A derecho, a straight line wind storm that can be described as an inland hurricane struck a huge swath of the state; destroying about one-third of Iowa’s corn crop and leaving about half a million people without power.
Because of the severity of the storm, many trails are still closed (including Chichaqua Valley Trail east of Bondurant, most of the Raccoon River Valley Trail and the High Trestle Trail).
2) TRAILS OPEN
Crews worked hard all week to put Iowa back together. Some Central Iowa Trails have already re-opened. Jess reports that Polk County Conservation has re-opened most trails, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District, Saylorville Lake has cleared Neal Smith Trail from Sycamore Access to Big Creek State Park, Raccoon River Valley Trail Association is open from Waukee to Perry and Great Western Trail is open from Des Moines to Cumming (and the Cumming Tap).
3) IN MEMORY
Jess explains why the Ride of Silence is so important to her and shares memories from the sunny Sunday morning (five years ago) that Wade Franck was killed by a drunk driver while participating in the Urban Assault Ride in Des Moines.
4) STATE LEGISLATURE AND UPCOMING ELECTION
Iowa is one of eight states that doesn't have a Safe Passing Law. Jess details how minor penalties are for killing a cyclist and shares her frustration that legislators have not been receptive to writing laws that would protect vulnerable roadway users.
Jess reminds people to tell candidates for State Senate and State House that safe passing laws are an important issue! Candidates are campaigning for election, so this is a great time to tell them what is important to our community!
5) RIVERVIEW PARK
Des Moines Parks and Recreation is working on an incredible project in North Des Moines! It's at Riverview Park, just north of Captain Roy's. The park will have an outdoor concert venue and a playground. The entire playground is themed around the Riverview Amusement Park that operated on the site from 1915-1978. It's right next to Neal Smith Trail, so be sure to check it out (from a distance as it's not yet open)!
THAT’S IT FOR THIS WEEK ! You can find more information on all of these items by checking out https://bikeiowa.com/
And finally, it's still a pandemic. It's still important to SOCIAL DISTANCE!
If you've got any ideas for future Friday Fives, send us a message!
Have a great weekend, RIDE SAFE and stay healthy!