Youngstown volunteers seek input on bike and recreation trails

A group of volunteers in Youngstown and the Town of Porter has organized a planning committee, called “River, Trails, Roads and Rails,” to gather community input and develop plans to build bicycle and recreation-friendly trails from Joseph Davis State Park to Fort Niagara State Park.

The group invites local and regional residents, cyclists and interested community members to attend a June 15 information session at Veterans Park in Youngstown to learn about the committee’s current plans and to provide input.

This event will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the corner of Elliott Street and Nancy Price Drive.

If conditions require it, a rain location will be announced on the Friends of Youngstown Facebook page at www.facebook.com/FriendsofYoungstown.

The event will feature presentations by committee members and representatives from the Greenway Commission sharing news on updated trail ideas that would connect the state parks that bookend the community. Kids are welcome and there will be activities for them. Free T-shirts will also be given out to the first 100 attendees who register ahead for the event at www.foy14174.com/neighborhood-trails.

“It is very exciting to consider our opportunities for building trails that will connect our neighborhoods to the state parks and also provide a connecting link in the state’s Empire State Trail, which would connect us to Buffalo and beyond,” said Sarah Hrywnak, local resident and chair of the committee. “We truly want community support to help guide our actions forward, so I encourage anyone who’s interested to come meet us on the 15th.”

“River, Trails, Roads and Rails” is a subcommittee of the Friends of Youngstown Inc., which is a new nonprofit dedicated to supporting efforts in Youngstown to revitalize, improve and ensure long-term sustainability in the community. Its focus is on promoting active lifestyles, preserving the historical significance, and environmental efforts to ensure a healthy and thriving community for generations to come.

More information is available at www.foy14174.com/neighborhood-trails.