Midland Trace On the Fast Track in Westfield - June 2008
With the resounding success and overwhelming popularity of the Monon Trail in Hamilton County, residents and officials have long been looking to expand the county's trail system and duplicate the Monon's success. Besides the Monon line, there was once another non-electric main railroad that crossed the county: An east-west link known as the Central Indiana or Midland Railway, long abandoned but still physically intact between Lebanon, Westfield, Noblesville and Lapel. The City of Westfield has been the first to take an interest in developing the line into a Monon-like trail, and has had detailed plans to build the Midland Trace trail across the city just south of SR32, urged on by the Friends of the Midland Trace advocacy group. The city has taken several significant steps in the last few years, and now the smell of ashpalt is almost in the air.
Westfield's portion of the trail will stretch from Gray Road on the city's east side to the Boone County line on the west side, where the future Ackerson Farms development in Eagletown includes plans to incorporate the Midland. A portion was paved for several years ago between Oak Ridge Road and Quaker Park, a short stretch of a couple hundred yards.
Anyone who has traveled down the Monon through Carmel can immediately see the transformation of the city surrounding the trail, one fortunate result of the Monon's close proximity to the downtown area. The downtown is abuzz with life, with the Monon as its lifeline. In exactly the same way, the Midland Trace has the potential to transform downtown Westfield, a fact that has not escaped Westfield officials like Mayor Andy Cook and members of the City Council. A city consulting firm is now clearing and surveying the line in anticipation of acquisition and development between downtown Westfield and Cool Creek. Various developers and owners have agreed to donate or dedicate several sections of trail to the City over the past several years, including Noblesville, which purchased the line from the Indiana Transportation Museum in the late 1980's.
Westfield's Trail Plan: the Midland and Monon will cross on both sides of US31.
In addition to the Midland, the Monon is also getting plenty of support and attention from Westfield and Hamilton County. Two large grants, one of which came this spring from Governor Daniels' state trails initiative, will soon bring the Monon nearly 3 miles north of 146th Street up to the future Midland Trace on the west side of US31. The development of Viking Meadows has already included paving the trail between 156th and 161st Streets, and the remainder may see construction begin by the end of the year. In addition, the Hamilton County Commission is seeking funding for a future Monon bridge across 146th Street.
Westfield has plans to build the Monon Trail and Midland Trace into a unique loop around the downtown area, hoping to maximize both trails' impact on the revitalization of the old town area. The trails' crossings of US31 and SR32 will be delayed until the US31 upgrade, however. In the meantime, the city is moving forward with the Monon/Midland link west of US31 and a similar intersection on the east side at Union Street, where the Monon, Midland and Natalie Wheeler trails will intersect. The Natalie Wheeler Trail, constructed on the west side of Union Street several years ago, runs between the downtown area and Cool Creek Park.
On the east side of the downtown area, the Midland Trace will connect with an existing path to Simon Moon Park, then run behind Walgreens, cross Carey Road and run behind the Kroger shopping center, where it will end temporarily at Cool Creek untl a suitable bridge can be found. The city has discussed the possibility of historic bridge re-use, now a popular design feature on several other trails around Indiana.
A connection to Noblesville has been urged by the Friends group, but Noblesville has yet to take decisive action on the project. Two spectacular historic iron bridges, one over Cicero Creek and the other a double-span over White River, await rehabilitation and rebirth along the future Midland Trace in Noblesville. The project would also connect trail users to the future Riverwalk project and the existing White River Greenway, which currently runs several miles between the courthouse square to Potters Bridge. Put all together, the Monon Trail, Midland Trace, the buzzing new downtowns of Carmel and Westfield and a trip through historic Noblesville would place Hamilton County squarely into the realm of a major trail tourist attraction. And if the Friends of Boone County Trails get their way, a future westward connection to Lebanon would someday tie in the Farm Heritage Trail between Lebanon and Lafayette.
Westfield will hold a meeting with the Friends of the Midland Trace in July to keep the trail on the fast track to asphalt. To join the group, please contact us.
Ackerson Farms to Include Midland Trace - October 13, 2006 - Noblesville Daily Times
Volunteers Make Way for Midland Trace Trail - December 20, 2005 - Noblesville Daily Times
Portion
of Midland Trace Cleared and Open for Walking - December 5, 2005
Volunteers gathered along a section of the Midland Trace between Carey Road
and Simon Moon Park for a cold day of trail work on December 3rd. The group
managed to clear the 1/2 mile of trail in under two hours, making history
as the first section of the Midland Trace was unofficially opened for use
(although a very short paved section has existed west of Oak Ridge Road for
many years).
By the end of next year, the Friends of the Midland Trace hope to open another section between the Kroger on SR32 and Gray Road. The trail will run behind the shopping center and will combine with developments by Precedent and Hazel Dell Elementary to make a continuous 3-mile trail between Simon Moon Park and the Noblesville Soccer Fields on the east edge of the Hazel Dell Elementary Campus. Flynn and Zinkan, which developed Kroger, is also planning to install a trailhead behind the center.
Map showing location
of open trail (green), pending trail (dashed), and future trail (red)
Board
allows trail around Hazel Dell - November 19, 2004 - Noblesville Daily
Times
Section of trail around school campus will provide a vital link between Noblesville
and the Monon Trail.
The verdict is in – the Noblesville Schools Board has caught trail fever,
too. The board’s five members unanimously voted to allow the city
to develop and maintain a trail around the southern perimeter of Hazel Dell
Elementary at Tuesday’s board meeting. Read
more.
Trail
receives boost from Hazel Dell - November 12, 2004 - Noblesville Daily
Times
School most likely will choose to develop section of Westfield, Noblesville
link
About a dozen of Hamilton County’s trail enthusiasts gathered around
the tables at Barley Island Brewing Co. Tuesday to discuss implications of
the most recent bit of good news for their grassroots organization, Friends
of the Midland Trace. They had learned that Hazel Dell Elementary School independently
may decide to move forward with the trail around the southern perimeter of
the school by letting the city parks department develop the trail. The decision
officially will be decided at the school board meeting scheduled for 7 p.m.
Tuesday. Read
more.
Trail
envisioned as vital link - October 28, 2004 - Indy Star
Plans
show span intersecting Monon
An abandoned rail line that runs through Westfield and Noblesville may be
revived -- not to carry trains, but as a recreational trail. Council members
representing both municipalities gathered this week to hear a preliminary
plan for Midland Trace Trail -- a five mile stretch from Ditch Road east to
Gray Road, which borders Noblesville. Patterned after the Monon Trail, the
path would follow the abandoned Midland Rail route that runs east-west through
both communities. It would intersect the Monon, which also runs along a former
rail line. Kevin Buchheit, Westfield Community Development director, said
Westfield wants to establish itself as a trail destination, with the future
Midland trail and the Monon Trail forming a hub crossing south of Ind. 32
and west of U.S. 31. Read
more.
Monon closer to winding its way through Westfield - September 21, 2004 - Noblesville Ledger
Westfield
Town Council and Washington Township Parks Board Adopt Master Plan for Monon
Trail and Midland Trace
The Monon Trail is one step closer to extending into Westfield and beyond,
but land acquisition keeps the finish line at a distance. The town council
and township parks board voted unanimously Thursday to accept the master plan
for developing the Monon Trail -- sited to begin at 146th Street, cross Indiana
32 and extend northeast toward 216th Street -- and the Midland Trace -- which
would begin at Spring Mill Road, connect with the Monon south of Ind. 32 and
end at Gray Road. Read
more.
Network
of trails takes shape - June 7, 2004 - Indy Star
Our position is: The greenway hiking and biking trail system should be
expanded throughout Central Indiana.
Carmel and Westfield are at odds over annexation issues, but thankfully both are cooperating in plans to link the two communities via a network of greenway hiking and biking trails. Westfield has received a $950,000 grant to extend the Monon Trail an additional mile from its current northern end at 146th Street in Carmel. Planning is under way to take it even farther north, where it will intersect just south of Ind. 32 with the proposed Midland Trace Trail between Westfield and Noblesville. Westfield and Washington Township officials are expected to complete a master plan for the two trails by late summer. Read more.
Leaders see pedestrian trail as economic development tool - January 30, 2004
Beds and breakfasts, pedestrian friendly retail shops and tables dotting the sidewalks outside of local eateries could become the future image visitors take away of Westfield if a nearby multiuse pedestrian trail is developed. The Midland Trace Trail, which runs about 1,000 feet south of State Road 32, could eventually connect nearly all of Westfield’s schools, parks, town hall and downtown by foot. Melody Sweat,Washington Township’s parks director, envisions that trails like the proposed Monon and Midland Trace would make Westfield a closer knit community. “I think it will be a boost to downtown all the way around,” Sweat said, referring to the potential recreational, economic and quality of impacts the trail could bring to Westfield citizens. Town Council President Teresa Otis Skelton said the trail could create a village setting with ice cream parlors, coffeehouses, sandwich shops and bicycle stores along the abandoned corridor. “It’s going to be a great opportunity for some of the existing small businesses to take advantage of pedestrian traffic,” Skelton said. “We have some that are very near where that would be running. When you have the social connection, the economic tends to follows.” Read more.
Midland Trace proposed as second Main Street in Westfield Town Renovation - February 2004
An Underground Railroad Memorial walk along the Midland Trace trail, gas-style lanterns, a pedestrian-oriented / open-air shopping area, and brick-lined walks were some of the proposals put forth by Purdue University Landscape Architecture students for Westfield's old town renovation. A downtown location connecting the Midland, Union Street, and Monon Trail corridors would serve as a focal point and social hub.
Midland Trace gets Noblesville Parks Approval - January 2004
The Noblesville Parks Board and Don Seal announced that the city will commission a professional firm to design a 2-mile trail from the east bank of the White River to Hazel Dell Elementary School. The design would include restoration of the Midland's two historic iron-truss bridges over Cicero Creek and the White River.
Westfield Committed to studying, building Monon Trail and Midland Trace - December 2003
Westfield/Washington Parks director Melody Sweat announced that Westfield will commission the BF&S firm to design the Monon Trail from 156th to SR32 and the Midland Trace from US31 to downtown Westfield. In addition, the town announced that developers will build part of the Midland Trace in 2004 near Carey Road.