An effort to develop bicycle trails in the Morongo Basin got a big boost yesterday. The County Board of Supervisors accepted a planning grant of $200,000 from the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) to help develop an Active Transportation Plan (ATP) for the Morongo Basin. A group of government and bicycle enthusiasts had been diligently working to create a draft scope of work for the bike trails project and submitted the application in November of 2016. SCAG announced in February that the county’s application for funding was approved, resulting in the $200,000 grant award. A county spokesman said “It also heightens the County’s commitment to developing the unincorporated communities of Joshua Tree, Morongo Valley, Pioneertown and Landers, in a way that is consistent with the communities’ wants and needs.” The bike trails project would stretch approximately 100 miles altogether, uniting the Morongo Basin communities. SCAG recently released a Request for Proposals (RFP) to hire a consultant to develop the plan and identify possible bike and pedestrian routes within the Morongo Basin, The selection of the consultant is expected to occur in June 2017.
