The Lincoln Prairie Trails Conservancy hopes to soon turn a vacant lot into a welcome/shelter area at the Taylorville head of the Lincoln Praire Bike Trail.
In 2006, Pious Zimmers donated the vacant lot at 206 S. Paw Paw Street to the City of Taylorville in hope that one day, it would be developed into a facility to support trail users.
In early 2020, the Lincoln Prairie Trails Conservancy commissioned Benton & Associates, Engineering firm for Cities of Taylorville and Pana, to develop a shovel- ready Site Plan for such a project. The plan calls for creation of a 12’ X 16’ Rain Shelter, a 10’ X 10’ concrete pad for future addition of additional amenities (bike rack, bike “service station,” restroom, etc.), a 60’ X 69’, 11-space (including handicap space) concrete parking lot with entrance, and an 8’ wide sidewalk connecting them all to the bike trail.
The Rain Shelter will be identical to the one that the LPTC built at the Pana Trailhead in September, 2020.
This spring, the organization will continue this mission by adding amenities, making more repairs, and streamlining its Sponsorship Program.
Construction of Phase 1 of the project, which includes the rain shelter and sidewalk connection to the trail, will begin soon, with Phases 2 & 3 to follow as funding allows. The project will be paid for entirely by private funds provided through LPTC Trail Sponsorships, Individual Donations, and other funds raising activities by the Conservancy. The shelter will be built with all volunteer labor.
To learn more about being a Sponsor or to help with this project, please contact the LPTC at 217-820-0849 (call or text) or see the Facebook page.
The Lincoln Prairie Trails Conservancy was incorporated as a 501(c) (3) Charitible Organization, dedicated to enhancing, repairing and expanding the trail. They have cleaned and filled cracks, replaced asphalt, mowed, trimmed, replaced on-trail signs and sign posts, installed message boards, repaired bridge approaches and done minor bridge repairs,
