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Parks and Recreation
Latah Trail
Purpose, Need, and Benefits
Transportation Corridor
The goal of the Latah Trail Project is to provide a safe and usable transportation corridor for non-motorized traffic between the cities of Moscow and Troy. Highway 8, the current motor route between the communities, does not have provisions for bicycle or pedestrian traffic. The shoulders along the road are non-existent or very narrow and are a dangerous and precarious route for travelers on bicycle or foot. The Idaho Transportation Department's 1999 average daily traffic study estimated that 5,100 vehicles use the corridor per day.
The Latah Trail will reduce existing conflicts by providing a safe alternative pedestrian and bicycle route for the general population and for students, faculty and staff traveling to and from the University of Idaho as well as other schools within Moscow and Troy. The Trail will provide excellent access for commuters moving between Troy, Joel, Woodland Hills, Eastman Acres, Moscow and other neighborhoods along the way. The trail will serve walkers and bicyclists along its route by providing access to commercial and residential areas, and will provide intermodal connectors to the Troy City Park for residents of Troy and neighboring county residents and guests.
Vigorous citizens commonly use the abandoned rail bed for walks and bike rides, despite rough terrain. Much of the abandoned rail bed consists of 3-4” rock, which hampers use by many would-be users, especially those with disabilities. The proposed project will formalize this use, pave the bed and make it possible for commuting bicyclists and more pedestrians to use the trail. It will become an important part of the transportation network of Latah County.
Recreation & Tourism
The transportation, recreation and tourism benefits of the proposal are apparent, including walking and bicycling use. The proposed trail will function as an extension of the highly used Bill Chipman Palouse Trail (connecting Moscow with Pullman, Washington), and Moscow's Linear Park known as the Paradise Path.
Other potential developments such as signed, interpretive hiking and biking nature trails are planned. The Trail will serve as a location for planned and spontaneous walks by the various user groups in the area including senior citizens, schools and various clubs and organizations.
Education
Educational benefits beyond to-and-from school transportation include use of the Latah Trail as a running area for high school and university athletes. The Trail will provide excellent access to several riparian and forested areas for outdoor-classroom study by elementary, junior high, high school, and university students throughout the region.
Future Use
Without the completion of the Latah Trail, the future of the abandoned railway bed will remain uncertain. By preserving the railway bed as a continuous trail, we can assure that the area will be available for railway function if the need arises in the future, and the physical reminder of the railroad's importance in our history will remain.
Wildlife Habitat
The Palouse area is home to many wildlife species ranging from big game to songbirds. The Latah Trail travels through many different habitat types as it winds from Moscow to Troy. By preserving the area as a trail, we will ensure that these habitats will not be subject to future development or degradation.
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