River Park upgrades bring more traffic to trails

TULSA - Monica Barczak says she's rides out at River Parks at least three days a week.

"The improvements that have been made to the trails are really fantastic, its really nice and smooth, there's lots of room," she says.

It's a far cry from how people remember it just a few years ago.

"Narrower trails, no curbing, strictly asphalt, it was a little uneven and sunken in places," says Tonja Pitzer with the River Parks Authority.

In 2007 the George Kaiser Foundation donated more than 12 million dollars to turn the trails around. Improvements include smoother pavement, new lights, landscaping, refurbished resting areas with benches, and wider lanes segregated for pedestrians and cyclists. Most of the east side is finished and they're now working on the west bank.

Scott Rose says he's lived in Tulsa for about 17 years. He says the upgrades have added to the towns quality of life tremendously.

"It's just access, anytime anybody wants to run or ride their first thought is to come here because it's a safe place to come and you can get a lot of miles in," says Rose.

It's also added up to big business for local bike shops. Adam Vanderburg says he's seen the whole cycling culture really take off in recent years.

"We do really well with the lifestyle and the hybrid market which is what you see a lot of on the river parks," he says.

Barczak says she definitely notices more people out on the trails now and expects even more in the future.

"It's a great place, it's beautiful and you feel like your outside the city but you're right in the city and people should come check it out," she says.

Some of the future improvements include updates to the River West Festival Park that will start after Oktoberfest 2011. Officials say they are still in the design phase.