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Trail News
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Green Flag for Speedway Trails - February 2008 Indy Parks Greenways Planning Meetings - February 2008 Northwest Indiana Bike Map Ready for Release - January 2008 Hamilton County Trail News - January 2008 DNR Purchases 150 Miles of Potential Rail-Trail - November 2007 Greenfield Plans Extension to Pennsy Trail - November 2007 Major Trail Grants Announced for 2007 - November 2007 Howard County Trail Plans Emerging - November 2007 Cultural Trail Nears Opening of Phase One - November 2007 State Fair Highlights Indiana's Trails Plan - September 2007 Delphi Raises Historic Stearns Truss Bridge - September 2007 Trails Workshop Planned for November 8 - September 2007 Green Flag for Speedway Trails
The newly formed Speedway Trails Association (STA) has announced an inaugural 5k run/walk/bike event called the "Diamond in the Rough" to promote their town's budding trail plan. The April 19th, 2008 event will start and finish at Leonard Park, located at 5400 W. 15th Street, and the 3.1-mile loop will utilize portions of the undeveloped B&O and Eagle Creek Trails. 
The future Eagle Creek Trail in Speedway To help prepare the loop for the event, the STA is
calling for volunteers for a trail clearing on February 23rd, 10AM
at Leonard Park. Any appropriate hand tools for cutting small
brush are needed, including chain saws, as well as gloves and safety
glasses. For more information on the clean-up, please contact Nathan Fite - nathanfite@speedwaytrails.org For more information on Speedway Trails and the Diamond
in the Rough event, please visit www.speedwaytrails.org. Indy Parks/Greenways Planning MeetingsThis month, Indy Parks and Recreation will begin the year-long process of updating the department’s comprehensive plan, the Indianapolis-Marion County Park, Recreation and Open Space Plan, and the Greenways Master plan. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) requires the comprehensive plan be updated every five years.
This process consists of soliciting public input and participation through two rounds of public meetings, user surveys, and focus groups. Round one meetings, listed below, are fact-finding meetings open to public comment in each township to gauge interest in and support of future park and recreation amenities. Concurrently, public comment regarding future greenway development and connectivity will also be solicited. Each set of meetings will be identical in format and presentation to ensure consistency for residents throughout Marion County. A second round of public meetings will take place early next fall, at which time Indy Parks staff will present a plan drafted in response to the public feedback.
Citizen and user input, combined with additional state and national data, will help analyze Indianapolis’ park and recreation needs, evaluate universal accessibility in city parks, establish priorities, and determine a schedule for implementation and completion. Plan components include park facility inventory, natural & cultural resource inventories, national recreation standards, and future needs and trends. Currently, Indy Parks and Recreation operates 192 parks and eight greenways, and maintains more than 11,000 acres of greenspace throughout Indianapolis-Marion County.
Previous comprehensive plan updates have brought forth the public’s desire for a skatepark, bark parks, and natural resource areas (parkland left “natural”). The 2009 plan will require approval of and adoption by the Board of Parks and Recreation, IDNR, and the Metropolitan Development Commission (MDC) of Marion County.
The public can contact the Indy Parks Planning Office at 327-5106 with questions.
Northwest Indiana Bike Map Ready for ReleaseAt long last, the Northwest Indiana Regional Planning
Commission (NIRPC) is ready to publicly release the first edition of
the Northwest Indiana Bike Map during a media event at the NIRPC office
at 6100 Southport Road, Portage, on Thursday, February 21st from 11:00AM
to 2:00pm (directly after the Executive Commission meeting). Representatives
from various cycling and trail organizations will speak and exhibit
at this momentous event, as well as answer questions from the media.
Afterwards, there will be a reception for member jurisdictions and other
invited stakeholders to attend.  The map, which features highly detailed cycling and trail routes, has undergone nearly a year of review and revision, and the initial print run will yield 150,000 copies to be distributed free of charge regionwide. Subsequent revisions and printings are planned to occur every two years. The northwest Indiana region has a relatively high concentration of rail-trails, including the popular Prairie-Duneland and Erie Lackawanna Trails.
NIRPC is requesting RSVP's for this event no later than Feb. 1st. Please contact Mitch Barloga for more information - mbarloga@nirpc.org or 219-763-6060 x133. Hamilton County Trail NewsBridge Over 146th StreetThe Hamilton County Commissioners have revealed that a $1.5 million trail bridge has been recommended by the Indianapolis Regional Transportation Improvement Program, and that if approved by a Metropolitan Planning Organization committee, construction could begin as early as 2010. Funding of the bridge, 80% of which would be covered by federal funds, is also contingent upon a 20% local match, to be split by the cities of Carmel and Westfield. The Monon Greenway is planned to be extended northward to 161st Street by the end of 2008, including a new trailhead at Greyhound Pass (151st Street). Monon Nets Two Major Grants in 2007Construction of the Monon Trail in Westfield may finally break its 6+ year stalemate with the announcement of an unexpected grant from DNR and the Lilly Foundation. Lilly's $1.25 million grant to DNR will be applied toward federal matching fund requirements for 5 ripe trail projects, including $250,000 for the Monon between 146th and 156th Street. Westfield received a Transportation Enhancement (TE) award to purchase and construct the trail several years ago; however, progress on the project has been disappointingly slow. Westfield's transition to cityhood in 2008, along with the matching gift from Lilly and DNR, should enable a groundbreaking some time in 2008. Another section between 156th and 161st Street is being constructed as part of a residential development. In addition, a $1 million TE award for the 2007 cycle was announced for the Monon between 216th Street and Lamong Road, which will connect to Sheridan's open section between SR47 and Lamong Road. The missing links between 161st and 216th Street is anticipated to follow these new segments, although the pending upgrade of US31 and SR32 may delay a completely connected trail from Carmel to Sheridan for several years. Midland Trace ProgressLast October, the Westfield Town Council voted to form a committee for the Midland Trace project's first phase. This phase will cover about 6 miles of trail through downtown Westfield, linking to the Monon Trail. The approximately $8 million cost, which includes 3 new bridges, may be bonded by the newly designated City of Westfield and Washington Township. The Midland Trace, using the former Midland railroad corridor, is planned to eventually extend from Gray Road on the east side to Eagletown on the west side. Westfield received a coveted $75,000 tourism development
grant from the Hamilton County Convention and Visitor's Bureau in 2007
to commission an engineering design for the Midland Trace through Washington
Township. The design will allow Westfield to begin purchasing
land and constructing trail segments as funding or adjacent development
allows. DNR Purchases 150 Miles of Potential Rail-TrailThe Indiana state trails plan Hoosiers on the Move took another leap forward on December 4th as Governor Daniels and the DNR announced two landmark measures to help communities develop more trails in Indiana. During a luncheon at the Indianapolis Westin Hotel entitled "Securing the Future of Indiana's Greenways", hosted by the Greenways Foundation, Daniels carefully outlined his deep support of the trails plan and the new measures. The first announcement detailed a $1.25 million grant from the Lilly Endowment, which would immediately draw $5 million in matching federal funds and be put toward five ongoing trail projects ready for new construction. The funding outlay would be streamlined, unlike the current federal and state process for Transportation Enhancement awards, which typically takes 3 to 5 years from award to completion. The projects to receive the funds are the following:
The second major announcement involved former railroad property remaining from a 2001 settlement between Penn Central Railroad and landowners around the state. The Indiana DNR held extensive negotiations with the railroad's holding company, resulting in the purchase of approximately 150 miles of corridor distributed among 39 Indiana counties. The properties, while fragmented and scattered over a wide area, nevertheless represent a significant opportunity for local communities to get started on or extend trail projects. To build a trail, communities will still need to acquire some properties to fill the gaps in DNR ownership, but the newly acquired state property should provide incentive for new projects.
There are several counties in which relatively long, usable stretches of corridor will be owned by DNR, but there are 3 that stand out:
Daniels pointed out that building trails had countless benefits for Hoosiers, not the least of which was the building process itself. "This is an opportunity for all of us, of all ages and all backgrounds, to work together for a common cause." Indiana, Daniels said, will work to meet and surpass other states' trail networks, many of which are far ahead of Indiana's. "It's exciting to imagine being able to ride a bike on trails from Evansville to the Dunes." The luncheon, hosted by the Greenways Foundation, was
full to capacity at over 300 attendees, including several sponsors from
around the state. Also in attendance were Indianapolis mayor-elect Greg
Ballard, DNR chief Rob Carter, and Inside Indiana Business host Gerry
Dick, who MC'ed the event. Greenfield Plans Extension for Pennsy TrailThe City of Greenfield has begun planning for a 3 mile western extension to its 3-mile Pennsy Trail. The existing trail was completed in 1998 on the former Pennsylvania Railroad right-of-way in the city’s downtown and east to CR 400E. The extension plan will take the trail west from the present western trailhead along right-of-way now owned by Eli Lilly to CR 150W. Preliminary talks between the trails steering committee with Lilly indicate that the company is very supportive of the construction of the rail-trail. The timeframe for construction is expected to be 2-3 years, owing largely to the single ownership of the proposed trail route. After the extension, there will still be an unincorporated 4.5 mile gap in the trail between Greenfield and Cumberland. Indianapolis and Cumberland are in the construction stage of the 9.5-mile Pennsy Trail between Arlington Road and 600W. The Pennsy Trail in Greenfield, Indianapolis and Cumberland are sections of the planned 150-mile cross-state National Road Heritage Trail. For more information, contact the City Parks or Planning Departments at 317.477.4340 or 317.477.4320 Major Trail Grants Announced for 2007The Indiana Dept. of Transportation has announced the recipients of the annual Transportation Enhancement (TE) awards for 2007. The federal TE program is the largest public grant available for trail projects in Indiana, with a cap of $1 million per award. Funding is extremely competitive, with only a handful of awards granted from over 100 applications. However, this year the program received a $5 million boost from Governor Daniels as part of the Hoosiers on the Move state trails initiative, for a total of $15 million toward trail projects. (Applicant - Project Title - Award) Read
the INDOT news release here. Howard County Trail Plans EmergingHoward County and Kokomo have established a citizen's
advisory group, led by trail, cycling and stream activist Charlie Skoog,
who are meeting regularly with county and city government officials
to draft a countywide Alternative Transportation Master Plan. One
of the group's primary objectives is to extend the Nickel Plate Trail
southward into Kokomo from its current terminus at the Miami/Howard
county line. The US31 upgrade in Kokomo, which will include
several bridges over the former rail corridor, will present an upcoming
opportunity for the group to work with INDOT on improvements to the
trail. Cultural Trail Nears Opening of Phase OneAlabama Street from North to Market streets was milled,
repaved, and re-striped during the last two weeks of October as phase
one of the Cultural Trail nears completion. “Since Alabama
Street is especially wide, the Cultural Trail does not take away a lane
of parking or traffic,” explained Lori Miser, Department of Public
Works lead administrator for the Cultural Trail. “The street will
be repaved and re-striped with slightly more narrow lanes to maintain
the current number of lanes for parking and traffic.” The first phase of the 7.5-mile urban trail, one of the first of its kind in the USA, is anticipated to be open before the end of 2007. The entire project will be constructed in six corridor stages over three years, and is projected to be complete in late 2009. For more information please visit www.indyculturaltrail.info The Indiana Trails Plan at the State FairA major effort was launched at the State Fair to spread the word about
Hoosiers
on the Move, the Indiana state trails plan too add over 2000 miles
of new interconnected trails throughout the state. The Greenways Foundation
is helping to coordinate the state's collective initiative to implement
the plan and help Indiana catch up and surpass our neighboring states
in trail mileage. Two informational booths were hosted by volunteers
from all over the state, one each in the DNR building and the INShape
exhibit area. The groundbreaking plan was drafted in 2006 by a collaboration of trail advocates from around the state and published by DNR and INDOT. Although excitement for the plan to get moving is high, funding is still a major hurdle. Garnering public support for the plan will be crucial to ramping up funding for construction. Finding an effective strategy for coordinating, administering, and managing the trails plan's implementation on a statewide basis is also an ongoing discussion. A series of FAQ's has been released by the Greenways Foundation to help educate the public about the trails plan. 1) What is this plan? 1) What is this plan?
Delphi Raises Historic Stearns Truss Bridgecontribution from Dan McCainThe 1905 Winamac/Stearns Truss Bridge, perhaps the last of its kind in existence, now occupies space over the restored Wabash and Erie canal. The volunteer crew with lots of help from three crane operators placed the 78 foot restored iron span over the unique original iron caisson foundations in the heat of the day -- September 4, 2007  Soft unsettled soils from caisson installation earlier this summer prevented the larger crane from reaching as far over the reconstructed section of canal so a third crane had to be called in at the last moment. All went smoothly with the expertise of the Stahl and Schlick operators and our volunteer team. This marks a decided improvement for Delphi's trails with this section of the Wabash Heritage Corridor Trail crossing in a much safer location. Now the hikers/bikers will avoid traffic on the busy County Road behind Pizza Hut and access points north and south along the canal's three mile section of historic towpath. This towpath trail section now contains four historic bridges. Two are stone arch structures built in 1901 and the other two are more recent "gifts" from our volunteer crew. One is the 1873 Bowstring Arch "red bridge", placed in 1999, and now the newest is the 1905 Stearns Truss from Pulaski County. Also there are two hiker's tunnels on this very popular trail. One under the railroad spur and one under the US Highway 421. The span is not complete until the wooden deck and rehabilitated safety railing is in place. Next will be the placement of steel stringers with wooden "nailing strips" of 4 x 4s bolted to the sides of the beams to support the oak deck. Then the cutting of White Oak logs onsite will be the order of a special day in about 3 weeks. Logs were donate by Pike Lumber Company and another local donor while the access to steel stringers from Central Steel in Chicago was made possible by another volunteer from Fowler working through his employer Tuthill Industries west of Brookston. We were able to acquire the beams at a considerable lower discounted price. Announcement of a "Community Day" for cutting these logs and decking the bridge will come this fall. Two portable sawmills will operate on either side of the canal west of Pizza Hut / Dairy Queen and a free lunch for volunteers will be provided by the Psi Ote Sorority. Trails Workshop PlannedThe Indiana Parks and Recreation Association and the Nickel Plate Trail, Inc. are hosting a workshop on November 8th in Peru. The title of the workshop is "the Perils and Pitfalls of Building Trails" and will highlight the pragmatic issues of executing trail projects in the field. Download a registration form here. Details follow: Location: Peru, Indiana; Old Peru Firehouse at the corner of Main and
Miami Street. Workshop Sponsors: Agenda:
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