The Austin City Council approved Federal Recreational and Local Trail Connection Project grant applications during its regular meeting Monday evening. Both grants are through the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

The applications are for grant money to help fund a proposed biking and pedestrian trail that would run along the north side of Turtle Creek from the intersection of Fourth Street and 16th Avenue Southwest to Bustad Park. The property is owned by the city.

The trail, which will be paved and extend 0.427 miles, is part of the city’s Capital Improvement Plan and will be part of the Austin Recreational Trail System.

“It’s all about expanding our trails and providing trail access where it had not existed,” said Vision 2020 Biking and Walking Committee Chairman Steve Kime, who pointed out that the southern part of town is lacking in bike trails.

The MnDNR currently has $1.9 million in grant money available through the Federal Recreational Trail Program and $800,000 available through the Local Trail Connection Project. The grants will cover a maximum of 75 percent of project costs with a cap of $150,000.

According to City Engineer Steven Lang, the proposed trail will cost $250,000. The city requested $100,000 in each application. The additional $150,000 will be funded locally via the 2019 Capital Improvement Plan Revolving Fund and a Vision 2020 Hormel Foundation Grant, each providing $75,000 a piece. The city has also agreed to provide a 25 percent match to the local funds.

“The city has been so involved in helping build the trails and I’m thankful to past and present city leaders,” Kime said. “Biking is growing and we want to appeal to bicyclists as we connect to the Shooting Star Trail and the mountain biking trail. I want Austin to be viewed as a biking hub.”

Kime also pointed out that this year’s Shooting Star Trail bike ride, scheduled for June 23, will mark the 20th anniversary of the ride, which will start and end in Austin for the first time.

The Federal Recreational Trail Grant award will be announced in June and the Local Trail Connection Project Grant award will be announced in July.

Construction of the trail is scheduled to begin in 2019.

The council also approved placing a bike arch at the Lions Shelter. The arch, which will span over the biking trail, is a project developed by the Vision 2020 Biking and Walking Committee and will consist of old bicycle frames welded together end to end.

“The idea came up a long time ago and it was one of those things we wanted to do,” Kime said. “When you go to other places, you see something iconic to the trails, like Paul Bunyan up north. I saw pictures from other cities that had something like that and wanted Austin to have one.”

The arch project is a partnership between Vision 2020, the city of Austin, Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau and Riverland Community College.

The city approved the site and will provide two used street light poles as well as construct the bases and help with the installation. Bob Bender, an industrial maintenance mechanic instructor at Riverland Community College, Albert Lea campus, will do the welding, sandblasting and painting. Funds for the project will be provided by Vision 2020 with assistance from the Austin CVB.