Proposed bike trail would connect Prien Lake Park and Riverside Park

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) - Lake Charles could soon be home to a large bike trail. Tonight Mayor Nic Hunter hosted a community meeting to discuss the One Lake Charles Bike Trail Project.

The project would create a trail from Prien Lake Park to Riverside Park.

The trail would be approximately 8 miles long and is part of a bond proposal called LC Rebound, which includes other projects that would move the city forward in significant ways.

“So LC Rebound just reorganizes our sales tax structure; it is not a tax increase in one iota,” said Mayor Nic Hunter. “It takes four sales taxes and condenses them or combines them into two sales taxes.”

LC Rebound is a modernization of an antiquated tax structure. It will be voted on in November and if approved, the bike trail could become a reality.

“So for the first time in our history, we’re talking about a bike trail that is completely removed from a concrete street,” said Hunter.

Once completed, the trail would have the possibility to expand.

“This is something that can be expanded to other areas,” Hunter said. “We are in discussion with certain utilities about the possibility of using some of their right of ways for additional branches of the bike trail.”

Those who attended the meeting were excited about the bike trail project.

“It’s something Lake Charles has been needing for a long time,” said cyclist Mike Hollenbeck. “We had the meeting back in 2012. The library which proposed the initial plan and this plan has just taken it over the top and it’s really going to benefit a lot of people. It’s going to be safer for people to walk and ride.”

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