City Transportation Planner Scott Walker and others have been looking into a comprehensive master plan for a greater Billings trails system for over a decade. Their planning is broken up into manageable segments that will be interconnected one day. The recent focus has been on the ZooMontana to Riverfront Park segment. The feasibility study for that project is in the final stages.

Their next priority is connections between 27^th St. to Indian Cliffs through Zimmerman Park. This is a portion of the overall challenge of improving the “Billings Highway 3 Corridor” for motorized traffic. That feasibility study is in the early stages, and the 2^nd ‘Public Meeting’ to present the plan and stimulate responses from the public is on Oct. 15, 2014 at the Billings Public Library from 4-6 PM.

On September 30, Scott took BikeNet’s Trails Committee on a bike tour of the east leg of the proposed 27^thSt. to Zimmerman Trail segment. (The comprehensive plan will take the trail and highway improvements to Indian Cliffs.) There is an ample public right of way between the south side of Hwy 3 and edge of the Rimrocks. The plan is to have several parking lots on the south side of Hwy 3, where the gravel flats are now, which will accommodate 20 or more vehicles each, and a paved bike-pedestrian trail meandering between the parking areas and the barriers at the lip of the Rimrocks. Engineering plans will include improved facilities for rainwater drainage. (Interestingly, Scott pointed out that the airport doesn’t permit drainage ponds for fear of attracting waterfowl.)

The area of the proposed trail became increasingly more scenic as we rode a mile or so west along the rims south of Hwy 3. At that point we could see the imprint of the old single lane road that once meandered up the rims. The view of the valley and surrounding peaks is spectacular here. This also may be an ideal spot for a Trailhead with historical markers, information kiosks and picnic shelters. There is ample room for parking.

At this point also, a deep coulee encroaches on the south side of Hwy 3, and there is no safe room currently for cyclists between the highway and the guard rail for several hundred yards. (I was nearly taken out here on my bicycle several years ago by a large RV with extended mirrors.) However, the county owns the right of way here and the plan is to build the area up to safely accommodate a paved trail. Between this area and the Zimmerman Trail intersection, however, the public right of way is narrower and abuts private homes, and the trail will be straighter and less scenic.

The proposed trail will stay to the south of Hwy 3. However, there are also ample public right of ways on the north side of Hwy 3, and several low areas that could facilitate a tunnel under the highway if that is judged to be desirable someday.