Committee to Forge Trails in Murrieta

Residents who have long wished to see a trail system in Murrieta are now getting some reinforcement from the city.

Murrieta City Council recently approved the formation of an ad hoc committee that will consist of Mayor Randon Lane and Councilman Alan Long, as well as a group of citizens who have been calling for the trail system.

Jay Froboese, a Murrieta police corporal who moved to Murrieta in 1989, is president of the trails committee that will work with City Council.

"We have tons of people willing to do the sweat labor," Froboese said. "We just need assistance from the city to help identify these areas as trails in a Murrieta trail system."

Froboese is an equestrian, and envisions the trails as multiuse for horses, bicycles, walkers and joggers.

"This is a huge leap from where we have been in the past," Froboese said.

"We want people to be able to ride, walk or bike in a loop so that they end up in the same place they left off."

Froboese sees concentrating first on the east end of town, near the Los Alamos Hills area.

Long said other areas that already have sections of trails include along Murrieta and Warm Springs creeks. Those would be obvious spots for improvement, he said.

Long, who serves as the representative from Murrieta on the Western Riverside County Regional Conservation Authority, has already begun broaching the subject on the county level. He hopes to work with RCA to identify areas that may be under its jurisdiction but could be formalized as part of a Murrieta trails system.

In addition to working with RCA, Long said the committee should work with adjacent cities. Froboese encourages identifying trails before new home developments go in.

Money is also a factor.

"One of the goals is to create an adopt-a-trail program," Long said. "That is conceptual, it is one of the ideas."

Long has complained, as have residents, that there are sections of trails within the city, but no connectivity. Once completed, some of the trails may not be all off-road, he said, and may need to jot briefly onto city streets.

"We have a healthy community who wants to stay healthy; we need to provide this alternative to driving. It is hard to ride a bike in this city."

City Council is set to take up the issue again at its next meeting. Long said he has already met with Assistant City Manager Jim Holston to begin setting "some clear goals and objectives" for the trails committee.

"There is a certain amount of authority that needs to be granted," Long said. "This was combining that group and giving them what they need to start working with the city to build trails.

"We just don't want to keep talking about trails; it is time to put the words into action."