River Parks Plan: Gift lets trails double up

Kaiser donation of $12.4 million set for parks
The George Kaiser Family Foundation will announce Friday that it is giving $12.4 million to create a premier trail system in the River Parks.

The funds will be added to $2.4 million in 2006 third-penny sales tax money allocated to River Parks for a total of $15 million to fund the project.

SO where is the money going???

The money will be used to create a dual trail system for pedestrians and cyclists that replaces the existing River Parks trails on the banks of the Arkansas River between 11th and 71st streets.

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They just announced today more plans from Kaiser--

River Corridor Plan: Group wants to put life, water into river

A Tulsa foundation is developing plans to transform four miles of the Arkansas River into a "living river" with concentrated, moving water even during low flows.

SWA was hired by the Kaiser Foundation and is working with Canadian architect Bing Thom and Tulsa engineering firm The Benham Cos. to design a plan that would keep water flowing all the time in the river from below Zink Dam at 29th Street to 71st Street.

THE PLAN

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Nice plan. Sometimes I think trail planners here think all they have to do is lay some asphalt and call that a trail. This plan lays out well what should accompany it. Congrats to Tulsa.

The divided trail for bikers and joggers smart; for the most popular trails, such as Lake Hefner and hopefully the Oklahoma River, a divided trail is much safer.