Last week, Ottawa Northern Railroad filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas against the Kansas Department of Transportation and the city of Baldwin City, demanding construction be halted on the Maple Leaf Trail, an integral portion of Baldwin City Safe Routes to school initiative. As of last week, construction has been suspended on the Maple Leaf Trail pending an injunction that requests work on the trail be shut down. Baldwin City Mayor, Casey Simoneau says they are optimistic that the litigation will be quickly resolved and the Maple Leaf Trail completed so that the community’s students will have a safe route when walking or biking to school. The Maple Leaf Trail Development goal is to develop safe routes for all and improve the health and well-being of children by encouraging them to safely walk and bicycle to school, in particular to the Baldwin City school primary and intermediate centers.
In March, Ottawa Northern Railroad acquired the 11 miles of rail previously owned by the Midland Historical Railway that ran between Ottawa and Baldwin City.
