Des Moines plans a new downtown recreational trail

The west side of downtown Des Moines' Riverwalk will connect with the Inter-Urban and Neal Smith trail systems under a plan that goes before the city council tonight.

Why it matters: The project will connect some of the metro's most densely populated areas with hundreds of miles of other recreational trail systems.

What's happening: The council will vote on an agreement with the Iowa Department of Transportation for the first $1.5 million phase of the Central Place Levee Trail.

• The first 1.6-mile phase would connect Rotary Riverwalk Park to the intersection of Franklin and Second Avenues.
• It would be paid via city, state and federal allocations with construction in 2024.

Zoom in: A second phase would run several miles further north, connecting the River Bend, Chautauqua Park and Prospect Park areas with multiple central Iowa trails.

• The timing and cost of the second phase haven't been determined, DSM Parks and Recreation director Pen Page told Axios.
• View DSM Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s interactive trail map.