116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Don Thomas, ‘father of our modern day trail system,’ remembered for dedication to Cedar Rapids
Thomas, who was remembered in a service last weekend, served as Cedar Rapids streets commissioner from 1994 to 2005
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CEDAR RAPIDS — “Dedicated” is the word used by Cedar Rapids City Council member Dale Todd to describe former city Streets Commissioner Don Thomas, who died Sept. 4, 2024 in North Carolina. He was 84 years old. Family and friends gathered last week for a celebration of life at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Cedar Rapids.
Thomas was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, but he spent most of his life in Cedar Rapids before moving to live near his daughter, her husband, his grandchildren and great grandchildren in North Carolina for the last three years of his life.
Thomas was known for his service to Cedar Rapids. Sometimes that took different forms. One year, Todd said, during the parade on St. Patrick’s Day, Thomas was a “street sweeper on roller blades.” The streets commissioner also was known to roll around farmers markets on skates, visiting with people.
Todd characterized Thomas’ training as a civil engineer — in addition to serving as streets commissioner — as “unique.” He was able to handle city street, sidewalk, and infrastructure issues and debates with a hands-on approach. His strategy was especially helpful, as Todd said he inherited an “aging” streets and public works system.
“If there was a complaint or a call, Don would often visit the site,” Todd said, “and in his trunk he had land surveying equipment that he would pull out and take measurements and look at the maps right then and there when he's talking to a citizen.”
He served as streets commissioner for 12 years, from 1994 until 2005, when the form of Cedar Rapids city government changed.
He oversaw the quality and maintenance of Cedar Rapids’ streets and infrastructure, but his most specific and acclaimed achievement was the development of the Cedar Rapids Metro Trail System.
A network of 260 miles of trails connect parts of Eastern Iowa, from Marion through Hiawatha with a 70-mile Cedar Valley Nature Trail that runs northwest to Waterloo. The trails are widespread but also were intended as a form of transportation, former Cedar Rapids Mayor Lee Clancey said.
Clancey called Thomas a “visionary” for his work on the trails system, citing their continued importance for Cedar Rapidians.
“He could possibly be called the father of our modern day trail system in the metro area,” she said. “… We rode our bikes down there. There had to have been 1,000 people down there on bikes and it's all because of the trail systems that are providing transportation to people for both recreational purposes and commercial purposes.”
Designing a system of trails is a complex process from a public works perspective, Clancey said, but the work’s involved nature was a match for Thomas’ deliberative decision-making and work style. She said his decisions took time, but they were good ones.
“It involves a whole variety of different governmental agencies and private sector groups to come together to make these trail systems work,” Clancey said. “And I think we have done a really fine job of it, starting with Don’s vision.”
Clancey recalled her time working with Thomas and how much, in her measure, they achieved in city government.
“He was a very kind person, very thoughtful,” she said. “He really cared about his job, he cared about Cedar Rapids. He was a very good leader.”
Comments: 641-691-8669; evan.watson@thegazette.com
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