HUMBOLDT — Beth Barlow of A Bolder Humboldt updated council members Monday night on “The Last Mile,” which is a bike lane connecting the Southwind Rail Trail trailhead north of town to downtown Humboldt, funded by a $1.2 million state grant.
The path would begin at the trailhead near 14th Street traveling west on Hawaii Road to 9th Street. From there it would proceed along the west side of 9th Street to Bridge Street.
Cody Porter, an engineer with Wilson & Company of Kansas City, Mo., shared the results of an engineering study of how the path could be implemented.
Where possible, the concrete path would be 8 feet wide with 2-foot shoulders. Porter’s study included traffic flow. Of special concern is the intersection of Hawaii Road and 9th Street where traffic is especially heavy mid-afternoon when shifts change at nearby B&W Trailer Hitches and the schools are released.
To improve safety, Porter suggested eliminating the merging of 8th and 9th streets. 
“AASHTO (The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials) recommends streets intersecting as much at a diagonal as possible,” he said.
Instead, the triangular space can be turned into green space with benches and landscaping.
Because the area is in Allen County, county commissioners would be consulted about the recommended change to accommodate the bike path.
Estimated cost of the new path is $1.7 million. 
DISCUSSION of the new path was a natural segue to a feature on Humboldt that appeared in Monday’s Kansas City Star.
The lengthy feature covered A Bolder Humboldt’s role in transforming downtown and the instrumental partnership of Joe and Janie Works.
AMBER WHEELER, superintendent of Humboldt schools, requested Humboldt officials help the district pay for an on-site resource officer.
“We need to do it for the safety of our kids,” she said. 
Wheeler also pointed out the benefits of the relationship developed between the police department and students. “It’s a chance for us to help our kids have a positive image of the police,” she said.
The officer would float between Humboldt’s three schools.
The district received a one-year Safe and Secure Schools Grant for $11,700 to put toward hiring a police officer. The grant requires the school district to match its funds.
