Skywalks jeopardizing trail progress

If a long overdue effort to finally complete a trails network in the Cedar Rapids metro area gets scrapped, you can blame the skywalk.

Federal and state transportation officials have blown the whistle on efforts by Cedar Rapids to use its majority votes on the Corridor Metropolitan Planning Organization to dictate the use of $4 million in annual federal funds received by the CMPO. The group also includes representatives from Marion, Hiawatha and other neighboring communities.

What raised the ire of those neighbors and caught the eye of outside officials was a Cedar Rapids-led decision in May to spend $1.4 million of CMPO funds on a downtown skywalk planned to link a parking garage to a bank. It was approved despite strong objections from Cedar Rapids' fellow CMPO members, who didn't buy the argument that skywalks are used by workers from across the metro.

Now, the state Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration are telling the CMPO to change its ways or face the loss of federal funds.

We've wholeheartedly supported a Cedar Rapids-led drive to plow 80 percent of CMPO funds into completing a metro trails network, including a trail linking Cedar Rapids and Marion. Those trail plans have long gathered dust, and we've commended Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett for pushing to make them a reality.

He's right that regional dollars should be pooled to make a bigger regional impact, rather than simply divided up to put small dents in a long list of local street projects. We disagree with neighboring cities that simply want the CMPO to operate as it always has.

But the skywalk project flies in the face of that vision, and is now jeopardizing the worthwhile trails effort. It was a mistake. And although we understand why the city is investing in its downtown, we think city leaders should rescind the funding request.

We think it's appropriate for Cedar Rapids to hold a CMPO majority, due to its population and share of metro transportation infrastructure. At the same time, however, Cedar Rapids should use its majority responsibly. Leaders must convince instead of railroad, build consensus instead of animosity, and respect the regional needs of its neighbors.

And we'd like to see this dispute settled locally, so we can avoid having a solution imposed by state or federal officials.

' Comments: editorial@thegazette.com or (319) 398-8292.