Journal Star reporter and columnist Terry Bibo reports today that the Peoria Park Board is flummoxed as to why their plans to convert the Kellar Branch rail line to a trail isn’t moving forward. While they have traditionally pointed fingers at everyone from Pioneer Railcorp to the Surface Transportation Board, they have a new target now: the City of Peoria.

“That sounds like either the city is asleep or the city is in bed with that concept,” said Vice President Jim Cummings.

“That’s an interesting observation,” said President Tim Cassidy.

Oh sure, it’s the city’s fault now. They who have consistently voted in favor of the trail. They who have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on legal counsel to try to get regulatory approval to build the trail. They who signed a 99-year lease at $1 per year with the Park District to use the land for a trail. They’re the ones holding things up, the Park Board says.

I wish. It would be a beautiful thing if the City finally decided to keep the rail line and canceled its contract with the Park District. But I don’t foresee that happening.

If the Park District is looking for someone to blame, it should take a good look at itself. Their all-or-nothing stance on this issue is the obstacle that is standing in the way. If they would try to find a way to build the trail around the rail line, they could have the thing built in a couple of years.

All they need to do is put the trail on the railroad right-of-way next to the tracks where feasible, and then move it adjacent to a parallel street where necessary. It can be done, and they can find grant money to do it, by modifying their ISTEA grant (which they’ve done once already) and/or getting IDNR grants (like they have for the rest of the trail line).

I think I’ve figured out the reason they’re so hard-nosed on this issue, though. The Journal Star article mentions that the Park District is moving their administrative offices to the former IDOT building at Knoxville and Prospect, which is right on the Kellar line. My guess is they want to have the trail going right by their new administrative offices, and that’s the real reason why they’re so unwilling to compromise.