The Gay Lea Wilson Underpass in Bondurant is now open after yesterday’s ribbon cutting! I visited the city on behalf of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition and attended the ribbon cutting. Bondurant is a proactive community and secured the underpass as a way for pedestrians and cyclists to safely get across Highway 65 by going under it! With this underpass, vulnerable road users won’t have to attempt to cross a multilane road of fast traffic. The trail will eventually connect to Altoona meaning residents of Des Moines will soon be able to pedal all the way to Bondurant and visit the charming town before continuing on the Chichaqua Valley Trail!
Bondurant is already a great town to visit and pedal around. I arrived early yesterday before the ribbon cutting to explore the town by bike and found a very walkable, bikeable community. I was able to park the car once and complete the rest of my in-town travels by bicycle. The trails are wide, well-marked, and fun to pedal around. I recommend taking a lap around Lake Petocka. While noodling around town I saw elementary-aged kids biking around by themself, getting around town on their own. What a wonderful community to provide Safe Routes for kids to explore and grow, and not having to be shuttled around by automobile!
With the new Gay Lea Wilson Underpass, Bondurant becomes an even more active community and I look forward to seeing more families and kids biking to the grocery store, parks, and schools. Bondurant can become a model town for Safe Routes to Schools for Polk County and the rest of Iowa.
Check out our socials for a video of cycling through the underpass.
