Cyclists in Windsor and Essex County will soon be able to roam farther without hitting the road.

A $225,000 contribution from the Rotary Club of Windsor will help to fill in a 3 km trail gap between the Rt. Hon. Herb Gray Pkwy. trails and the Chrysler Canada Greenway in LaSalle. The overall cost of the project is $1-million.

Rotary Legacy Projects Chair Janet Kelly says the club wanted to fund a project that would improve quality of life for local residents.

“Trails annually contribute more than $2-billion to the [provincial] economy,” says Essex Region Conservation Authority General Manager Richard Wyma. “Studies have shown that for every $1 spent in trails, you save $3 in healthcare costs. So there are tremendous benefits to these trails.”

The 3 km trail will be called the Rotary Centennial Hub, as the club gets set to celebrate its 100th anniversary next year.

A map of the proposed Rotary Centennial Hub, connecting the Rt. Hon. Herb Gray Pkwy. trails to the Chrysler Canada Greenway, June 5, 2017. (Photo by Mike Vlasveld)