Katy Trail State Park is a treasure at 240 miles spanning from Machens to Clinton, Missouri. While the crushed limestone path is loved by many, a group of individuals are calling for the surface to be replaced with a moving walkway. This would be a rubber conveyor belt designed to move trail visitors along the path not unlike what you would find in major airports.
“People are clamoring for outdoor activity that does not require physical effort,” says Erin Dopplebock, with the Association of Peoples Reimagining Intensive Larking.
While some are championing the development for its potential boon to local businesses along the trail, others are expressing concerns over funding, safety, and wildlife impacts. According to Karen Hays, native of Saint Charles, installation of a moving platform will severely impact wildlife.
“Imagine being a deer traversing along the Missouri river with your fawn when all of the sudden, your baby mis steps and starts moving away from you on this awful conveyor belt,” says Karen. “All of the sudden we are sending this defenseless creature across the state. It’s horrible.”
Even with wildlife concerns looming, Dopplebock’s A.P.R.I.L. organization plans to charge forward on the project. “I think this is a win for everyone, we all spend so much physical effort during our work and school week, sitting behind a desk, the last thing anyone wants is to elevate their heart rate while exploring nature”.
Next on the agenda is to encase the trail in a conditioned glass tube to make the journey more pleasant. Plans for walkway construction are to take place on April 1, 2023 which just so happens to be the nations observance of April Fools Day.