Built on abandoned Missouri-Pacific railroad right-of-way, the 10-foot wide path stretches 1.5 miles from Wichita Street & Central Avenue to 15th Street at Broadway. Features include:
?Victorian-style pedestrian lighting;
?Brick columns and steel archways spelling out ?Midtown? at 15th & Broadway and at 8th & Wichita Street;
?A plaza at Otis Park in the form of a railroad turntable;
?Sunken planting beds (?rain gardens?) at Otis Park and Park Elementary School (9th and Main Street);
?Benches, drinking fountain, trash receptacles, and bike racks also carry out the turn-of-the-century look of the path.
The project got its start in late 2004 as a result of a grant for which the Historic Midtown Citizens Association applied. Nearly 80% of the $1.35 million project was funded by KDOT Transportation Enhancement Funds from that grant.
Several Coasters attended the ribbon cutting ceremony this evening. After the ceremony we rode the new path to it’s southern end and some of us continuing on into Delano.