Jerry J. Kane served as Madison County Transit's Managing Director from 1986 to 2019 and led major efforts to develop paratransit service for the elderly and disabled, expand the fixed-route bus system, create the RideFinders carpool and vanpool program, and build the MCT Trails system. Inspired in the early 1990s by rail-trails and by the abandonment of local rail lines, he pursued a plan to preserve former railroad alignments in Madison County, a longtime rail hub between St. Louis and Chicago. In 1993, through his efforts, the State of Illinois granted MCT permissive authority to develop and maintain bike trails, and MCT began acquiring and rail-banking former rail corridors to build Class One bikeways while preserving transportation corridors. The process advanced mile by mile through years of negotiation and litigation, while Kane and his staff secured federal, state, and local grants totaling $50 million over 25 years to construct the trails. In 2000, he also played an instrumental role in creating the Metro East Park & Recreation District to provide matching funds for park and trail projects in Madison and St. Clair Counties. Emphasizing accessibility and a seamless user experience, he insisted on tunnels and bridges at road crossings when possible, and during his tenure 49 bridges, 25 tunnels, and 7 trail loops were built. His vision and persistence helped make the MCT Trails one of the country's most extensive, interconnected, and user-friendly bikeway systems, enhancing quality of life, supporting recreation, commuting, and fitness, attracting visitors and home buyers, preserving more than 1,500 acres of greenspace, improving property values, and fostering bicycle and pedestrian culture in Madison County communities.