Nancy Bergeron
Ruston’s Rock Island Greenway project marked another step forward Thursday with the official announcement of a $1 million Lincoln Health Foundation grant that will help fund a network of sidewalks and bike lanes connecting to the greenway.
“It’s allowing access to health care services. It’s allowing access to the programs we provide in (the south) part of town. It gets at this whole wellness idea,” Lincoln Health Foundation CEO Norman Hanes said about the project that’s taking the old Rock Island Railroad bed and turning into an active transportation path through Ruston.
Thursday’s ceremony was held along the segment of the greenway, that when complete, will connect California Avenue through to the southern city limits at Tennessee Avenue. In order to get to the site, participants walked the first 1,300 feet of sidewalk that joins Vaughn Avenue to the greenway.
Hanes said what made the connector initiative so attractive to the foundation is that it incorporates all of the foundation’s goals regarding health living and access to health care.
The greenway project includes building sidewalks and bike lanes from adjacent neighborhoods to the main greenway. For south Ruston residents, that means easier pedestrian access to doctors’ offices, churches, schools and other services.
In agreeing to fund the grant, the LHF board broke a two-year ban on new projects. The board also approved dipping into the money with which the foundation was started in order to make the four annual $250,000 grant payments.
The LHF grant is the second $1 million grant the city has received for the greenway. In September 2017, the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation gave a like amount to the city.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation Michael Tipton, who attended Thursday’s event, praised the work that’s been done over the last six months.
“This project really makes active transportation par of people’s lives,” he said. “You can safely get to your house, to the parkway, to downtown, to where you need to go.”
Copyright © 2018 Ruston Daily Leader
All rights reserved