Parents of accident victim celebrate pathways

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

By Sam Petri

In July of 1999, Gabriella Axelrad, 13, was struck by a vehicle and killed while riding her bike in Grand Teton National Park.

For the past seven years the Axelrad family, in conjunction with Friends of Pathways, has organized the “Gabriella Axelrad Memorial Ride and Walk” to raise awareness and lobby for a pathway system in the park. This past April a plan, was approved by the National Park Service to construct multi-use pathways in Grand Teton, similar to the pathways along the Village Road and south on Hwy. 89.

Because of this development, this year’s event has been dubbed the “Gabriella Axelrad Celebration Ride and Walk.”

Check in for Sunday’s event will be from 8:30-9:30 for bicyclists, 10:00-10:45 for walkers at the old Moose Visitor Center parking lot. Lunch will be served 11:30-12:30 at the old Moose Visitor.

The final transportation plan was approved to construct 22.5 miles of multi-use pathways outside of existing road corridors and 18.8 miles of multi-use pathways inside existing road corridors, totaling 41.3 miles of new pathways inside GTNP.

In general, pathways built outside of the existing road corridors will be within 50 feet of the existing road and no more than 150 away from the road. The plan also realigns the Moose-Wilson Road in two areas to restore aspen and wetland habitats. This plan is a combination of elements from two alternatives in the Record of Decision Transportation Plan, which can be found on the park’s website. Construction is set to begin in the spring of 2008.

Friends of Pathways, the late U.S. Sen. Craig Thomas, GTNP Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott and the Axelrad family worked together to push this plan forward.

“We’re extremely grateful to be able to move forward and with this plan to make Grand Teton National Park a model for other national parks,” said David Axelrod, Gabriella’s father, who will offer some remarks during lunch on Sunday.

Thomas helped secure $8 million from Congress to break ground on the roughly $45 million project. The Record of Decision shows the pathway system will cost an estimated $417,000 a year to operate and maintain. The money raised during Sunday’s event will be put into an account to help maintain the new system.

“Friends of Pathways is pleased and honored to work with Grand Teton National Park to provide a fund for stewardship for these pathways,” FOP Executive Director Tim Young said.

Not everyone is celebrating the pathway system, however. Some environmental groups in town have mixed feelings about construction in the park, noting that added asphalt means loss of vegetation and disruption of wildlife habitat. David Axelrad countered the construction and final outcome of the pathway system will be “environmentally savvy.”
For more information about Sunday’s event, call Friends of Pathways at 733-4534.

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Parents of accident victim celebrate pathways | Planet JH News Article: General News

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