Bike paths on the way for Victor?
The city of Victor is on a path that many bicyclists are thrilled about, thanks to a Federal Lands Access Programs grant.
The new FLAP grant provides $1.5 million towards the Idaho-Teton Centennial Trail, a bike path on the old Jackson Highway from Moose Creek to the Idaho/Wyoming border. However, the city of Victor was still on the hook for $100,000, but Zachary Smith, the mayor of Victor, said generous donor made a serious dent in that.
“We had an anonymous donor donate $50,000 to the project, so we are now trying to raise the rest of the 50,” said Smith.
The project would pave a path and replace a bridge.
“This is the original bridge that you used to have to go up and over to travel from Victor to Jackson Hole,” said Smith. “It needs to be fixed to make the project go forward.”
Even though the path would only go to the state line, many say that stretch is actually more dangerous than the steepest parts of Teton Pass.
“That’s where people are feeling comfortable going at 55-60 miles-per-hour, whereas when they get on the slope of the pass itself people are going slower,” said Smith.
A separate project will create another path from Crystal Avenue to downtown Victor.
“We can connect two of our biggest subdivisions in the city of Victor to Downtown, via walking and bicycling,” said Smith.
Jannine Fitzgerald, owner of Fitzgerald’s Bicycles, said that path is a win for the two subdivisions.
“It’s got a lot of families in there and a lot of kids,” said Fitzgerald. “It’s really a missing link right now to connect those folks to the community without being on the main highway.”
An avid biker, herself, Fitzgerald said the Pathway Project connecting Victor to the state line is a step up in safety.
“There’s very small shoulders, and unless you’re with a group of people it’s rare that I feel safe on that stretch,” said Fitzgerald. “It’ll be a no-brainer.”
The city of Victor is taking donations for the Idaho-Teton Centennial Trail at its Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/cityofvictor.
