Raise your hand if you remember when this was a dirt road. There was a twelve-foot dip in it at this point in order to meet the Rock Island Railroad track at grade. Needless to say, it wasn't a main road at that time.
The railroad had quite a history, especially toward the end, with buyouts and backruptcies mentioned. Alas, on March 31, 1980, the last train ran, and the Rock Island was no more. The end of the railroad eventually led to the city's acquisition of the right-of-way, and the creation of the hiker/biker trail you see today.