News 2005 #2

Delphi to Host Regional Trail Conference - December 5, 2005
submitted by Dan McCain of Delphi Historic Trails

The date of Wednesday, Dec. 14th at 9 am in Delphi's Canal Center, 1030 North Washington Street (eleven blocks north of the Court House stoplight) is set for a meeting and discussion of multi-county connections with Prophetstown, Indiana Beach, and other attractive places where bikers / hikers wish to go. There are community interests in White, Tippecanoe, Carroll, Cass, Clinton and Howard Counties that want to discuss developing these common connections.

A mutual feeling may develop further to conceive short term and long term public byway connections. It may be simply with signs marking rural blacktop roads or ultimately by constructed trails, greenways, etc. Rory Robinson with the Rivers and Trails Section of the National Park Service and Bernie Dahl, Professor of Landscape Architecture at Purdue will help lead and monitor our discussion.

As an example of need for byways is Delphi. Connections to surrounding cities and parks would make a "two way" connection for those who wish to visit/camp at Indiana Beach, Prophetstown, France Park, etc. and then bike to our Canal Park. We already enjoy an extensive Wabash River and Canal loop route on "specially marked" blacktop backroads to Georgetown in Cass County--and we desire to do this to the Battle Ground and Monticello area. But to do that we need the blessing of the county officials in Tippecanoe and White Counties. Now maybe a time to consider expanding beyond.

It is important to provide a "round table" discussion and begin to forge these relationships with other communities whether they are Wabash River Corridor Counties on not. It seems there is a common bondage with towns in this endeavor. For instance Monticello draws a million visitors each summer to the lakes and Frankfort is gearing up for community trails connecting with their rich railroad history. People come to stay in places like Prophetstown for days and need outlying venues for entertainment. Biking is growing in popularity.

For those interested in attending you need to bring (or alert) your county/local transportation officials so that routes selected don't conflict with community plans or perceptions when adding bike/hike traffic. Whatever visitor incentives you can bring to the table showing how to make these opportunities workable should be presented. Is any state/federal transportation money available? Bring information. Help us make a workable program for the 15-20 people that might attend.

Anyone with ideas and good maps of your county, please make them available. If you have ideas/suggestions to this agenda please send to Dan McCain.

Five Trails Receive Recreational Trail Program Grants - November 10, 2005

Five non-motorized trail projects received grants of $150,000 from the 2005 Recreational Trails Program administered by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Projects to receive funds are:

• Brown County State Park Trail, sponsored by Hoosier Mountain Biking Association, award $150,000, with total project cost of $187,500. The park will develop 10 miles of trail and two trailheads to add to the existing mountain biking and hiking trail system within Brown County State Park.

• Whitewater Canal Trail in Franklin County, sponsored by Whitewater Canal Trail Inc., award $150,000, with a total project cost of $187,500, to acquire three acres and develop a 2.6 mile segment of Whitewater Canal Trail from Metamora to the east with a mountain bike spur.

• Sugar Creek Township Trail in Hancock County, sponsored by Sugar Creek Township Park Board, award $150,00, with a total project cost of $187,500 to acquire and develop a two-mile multi-use trail, including parking and amenities.

• Rivergreenway Loop Trail in Adams County, sponsored by Decatur-Adams County Parks Department, award $150,000, with total project cost of $187,500, to partially acquire and develop the 3.5-mile Rivergreenway Loop Trail, including site amenities and river access.

• Towpath Trail-Phase I in Allen County, sponsored by Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Department, award $150,000, with total project cost of $187,500, to develop and add .85 miles of trail to the Fort Wayne’s Greenway system, connecting it to the Aboite trail system.

Since 1994, the DNR has administered 59 RTP grants totaling $6,914,358 for Indiana projects. Applications are due May 1 of each year.

Farm Heritage Trail Preview Horse Ride - November 1, 2005

On Saturday, November 12th at 9AM in Thorntown (starting at the corner of Serum Plant Road and Hazelrigg Road) the Frontier Co-op farm and home store in Lebanon will host a 10-mile equestrian ride along the abandoned rail corridor proposed for the Farm Heritage Trail, though the trail is not open to the public. The farmer who owns the corridor has agreed to lend its usage strictly for the event. An Indiana Farm Bureau director will provide an adjacent field for horse trailer parking and will have water available at a nearby barn. The 28-mile proposed agricultural-themed trail from Lebanon to Lafayette is part of a larger vision to connect the Indy Greenways network to the Lafayette area and Prophetstown State Park. Thorntown currently has a limestone-surfaced trail open on the corridor between Church Street and Sugar Creek.

The ride will be a fundraiser for St. Jude's Children's Hospital, which is helping to insure, promote and organize the event. Major funding is being pursued by the non-profit group Friends of Boone County Trails to acquire land for the Farm Heritage Trail through other grants and donations. Support in Clinton and Tippecanoe County so far has not been enough to get the trail on any local master plans.

For more information or to pre-register please call Lori Stover at the Frontier Co-op (765) 482-0130 or 1-(800)-752-0603. Forms are available at the Frontier Farm Store in Lebanon. More information on the Farm Heritage Trail can be found at www.farmheritagetrail.org.

View of the Farm Heritage Trail corridor (not open) south of Thorntown

Fort Wayne Holds 2nd Annual Greenways Summit - October 28, 2005

Fort Wayne Mayor Graham Richard, who last year instituted a city grant program of $2 million over four years to grow and improve the city's greenways, will lead the city’s second annual Greenway Summit 6:30-8:30 p.m. Nov. 14 at the River Lodge in Shoaff Park, 6401 St. Joe Road. The summit is open to the public. Citizens interested in greenways and trails are encouraged to attend.

Elected officials, greenway and trail advocates, and members of the community will discuss the current trail system and plans for how trails will be improved and added in the city, Allen County and northeast Indiana.

The city's existing multi-use path is the 19-mile Rivergreenway, which runs along the banks of the St. Joseph, St. Marys and Maumee Rivers and stretches into unincorporated areas and will soon link the city of New Haven. City crews are currently repaving the greenway and upgrading landscaping and signage; the repaving of the entire greenway will take two more years to complete. Several trail-supporting grass roots organizations have sprouted in recent years to stimulate development of the region's planned trail network, which now exceeds 100 miles.

This year one of the city's grass roots trail groups, the Greenway Consortium, received $25,000 funding for the extension of Fort Wayne's trail network into Aboite Township. This is the second financial contribution the Consortium has received through the Aboite New Trails organization this year. This funding will be applied to a planned four-mile trail extension (currently referred to as the "Towpath Trail") from Rockhill Park to the intersection of Jefferson and Engle Roads, and will eventually connect Fort Wayne's Rivergreenway to Aboite Township trails.

Fort Wayne Trails Master Plan (2004)

Whitewater Canal Trail Opens in Metamora - October 12, 2005

Just in time for peak fall foliage, one of Indiana's most popular tourist destinations will add another attraction to its inventory this Saturday as a multi-use trail along the historic Whitewater Canal opens in Metamora. The scenic area is also known for the Metamora Grist Mill, which has been the most visited historic site in Indiana, and the Whitewater Valley Railroad, which runs between Connersville and Metamora. The new 2.6-mile section will bring Indiana's total rail-trail mileage to just under 160 miles.

An update follows from the Whitewater Canal Trail group:

First it was the canal boat, then the railroad and the car. On Saturday, October 15, another mode of transportation will roll into Metamora. The second section of the Whitewater Canal Trail will open with great fanfare October 15 at Noon. The public is invited to the ribbon cutting which will be held at the DNR red barn at the East end of Metamora. The latest section to open includes 2.6 miles of primitive trail. The trailhead is located in Metamora and is easily accessed by the parking area near the historic Whitewater Canal Aqueduct.

More than 100 volunteers have worked to create the latest addition to Franklin County's recreational offerings. The 2.6 mile section will open for hikers and mountain bikes on October 15. When complete, the Whitewater Canal Trail will link Metamora and Brookville with an 8-mile hike/bike trail. In the spring of 2005, volunteers opened the first section of trail at the Yellow Bank Trailhead, located between Brookville and Metamora on US 52. For the grand opening event on October 15, a shuttle will be offered to walkers who want to walk just one length of the trail. This service is generously contributed by Morgan's Canoe.

To access the Metamora Trailhead, enter Metamora from US 52, cross the canal and turn left (east) to the Aqueduct parking area. For more information about the Whitewater Canal Trail call (765) 647-6457 or visit the website www.whitewatercanaltrail.com

Volunteers Open Another 2 Miles of Cross-State Trail - October 6, 2005

The National Road Heritage Trail (NRHT) came 2 miles closer to its goal of crossing the state this past month, as volunteers cleared and opened the natural-surfaced trail between Crittenden Creek and Coatesville in western Hendricks County. The Vandalia Trail, as it is called locally, is now 3 miles in length between Amo and Coatesville and has achieved a coveted milestone few other trails in Indiana can claim: connecting two incorporated towns. The trail, which follows a utility easement along the Vandalia rail corridor, is maintained by volunteers and managed by the Indiana Trails Fund. The next stage of the trail to open will likely be west of Coatesville, heading toward Fillmore, where the existing People Pathways trail connects to Greencastle.

As the year winds down, a major study of the trail concept, funded by the state Department of Tourism, is also being concluded by Storrow-Kinsella, a design firm in Indianapolis. This study should make clear what is necessary to finish the remaining 130 miles of the 150-mile trail. About 75 miles are in planning by various communities between Terre Haute and Richmond.

An update follows from Greg Midgley, NRHT president and an Indiana Trails Fund director:

With key help from Richard Vonnegut on Saturday, we put the gates and signs in place for the Coatesville end of the Vandalia Trail. So on Sunday, a friend and I inaugurated the entire rustic hiking trail by parking in Amo, stocking up at the Amo General Store, hiking to Coatesville, eating freshly made jumbo cheeseburgers at the Coatesville Food Center, then hiking back to Amo (6 miles in total). It turned out to be a busy afternoon on the trail.

Past the Crittenden Creek crossing, we met a woman and her young son who had hiked and bicycled from Amo. While we ate lunch at the table outside of the Coatesville store, another customer asked us "Aren't you the two I just saw parking in Amo?" and was surprised to hear that we had hiked there. Back in Amo, we met a family of 4 starting out on their first horseback ride on the trail. They had trailered to Amo. Beverlee told us that some of this group had had some trouble guiding their horses between the 3 posts that we had installed in the equestrian entrance, so we cut the middle post off at the top of the cross board to get rid of that problem. Apparently, other horseback riders had been nervous about dealing with the entrance width of 3.5 to 4 feet, too. During that rework, a group of 3 young boys stopped by after walking from the center of town asking if they had walked a mile, yet. Upon learning that it had just been a quarter of a mile, they headed off to explore the trail a little and put in some distance. Finally, as we drove out of town, we saw another gentleman hiking down the trail in Amo. There were also indications that other trail users had been out there earlier in the day.

Though hikeable, the Coatesville mile will be rougher than the Amo mile until we get it bush-hogged again in a couple of weeks. The Coatesville mile is also suitable for horseback riding, but primarily for locals who can ride to it since there is not yet a good place to park a trailer nearby. Also, the entrances on either end are currently a little tighter than the one that concerned some horseback riders in Amo. Mountain bicycles with shocks can comfortably negotiate the trail from both towns, but the creek crossing is still suitable only for confident hikers.

We hope you get a chance to enjoy all or part of the trail this fall. The leaves are just starting to turn now.

Greg Midgley can be reached at greg@indianatrails.org or 317-503-1101

Indy Pedestrian Plan Steps Outward- September 23, 2005

As if prompted by high prices at the gas pump, the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) has announced the start of Phase 4 of the Regional Pedestrian Plan -- an initiative dedicated to making the nine-county region more pedestrian-friendly. The timing, however, is coincidental and actually reflects the MPO’s on-going efforts to increase mobility options for area residents, while enhancing the safety and efficiency of the region’s transportation system. “We’ve been working on the Ped Plan for five years,” notes MPO Senior Planner Amy Inman, M.S., who serves as the plan’s Project Manager. “We started in Center Township, then moved to the surrounding townships within Marion County. Phase 4 is the first time we’ll extend the plan beyond the county line,” she says.

This month, the MPO and its primary project consultant, the landscape architecture and urban design firm Storrow Kinsella Associates, will start evaluating the Johnson County communities that fall within the MPO’s planning area. Study planners will then proceed clockwise to look at portions of Morgan, Hendricks, Boone, Hamilton, Hancock and Shelby Counties. It is anticipated that Phase 4 will take a year to identify existing and potential pedestrian trip generators and destinations in these areas by inventorying overall land-use patterns, dense residential patterns, retail/commercial patterns and employment patterns. School walking zones and Parks/Open Space Zones also will be inventoried.

In addition, study planners will analyze existing systems that affect walkability including sidewalks, transit routes, bikeway networks and the roadway system. “We also will identify areas that require context sensitivity, such as historic neighborhoods, and population segments that have special need of the Pedestrian Plan, including non-drivers and those with physical or sensory disabilities,” Inman explains. “Eventually, we want to provide pedestrian access to all transit stops, establish safe routes to schools, and reduce regional traffic congestion and its related air pollution.” For more information on Phase 4 of the Regional Pedestrian Plan, visit the MPO web site and click on “Current Studies”, or contact Amy Inman at 317/327-5646 (ainman@indygov.org).

National Road Heritage Trail News - September 15, 2005

Trail Clearing from Amo to Coatesville

During the past 5 1/2 months, volunteers have cleared and prepared over 2 miles of rustic trails for hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking in southwest Hendricks County extending from the heart of the town of Amo more than half way to the town of Coatesville. Along the way, they encountered a number of obstacles and distractions, but after last weekend, they saw that all that stood between Amo and Coatesville was a straight, smooth, mile-long former railroad bed with just a few trees and some brush to clear.

The local NRHT group has decided to reach Coatesville by the 6-month anniversary of breaking ground in Amo. Volunteers are being sought for this event on Saturday, September 24th, from 9 AM to mid afternoon at the corner of CR 675 W & CR 500 S midway between Amo & Coatesville. Bring your favorite landscaping tools:
limb loppers, bow saws, chainsaws, etc. Ice water & snacks will be provided. Contact Greg Midgley 317-503-1101 or greg@indianatrails.org

Illinois Joins Push to Develop NRHT

The Clark County Trails Coalition based in Marshall, Illinois has been selected by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to receive a $20,000 planning grant for countywide trails mapping. A key element of that trails network will be a bike path along the right-of-way of the National Road connecting with a Vigo County NRHT at the Indiana state line. This Illinois DNR grant program specifically encouraged organizations to foster inter-state greenways collaborations.

At the same time, the Clark County Trails Coalition submitted a proposal to Terre Haute's Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology for a year-long senior engineering conceptual design project on a 38-mile NRHT from the Indiana state line to the town of Greenup in Cumberland County, Illinois. A student team subsequently chose this project and will begin the research in mid September. The students will inventory the ownership of the property along the proposed route, provide design concepts for the trail and trailheads, and estimate development costs.

This collaboration was inspired by the 9-week feasibility study of a 7-mile NRHT connection between Terre Haute and the Illinois state line provided in May by Rose-Hulman freshman engineering students (click here for full story). It also follows a similar year-long Rose-Hulman senior engineering design project completed in May for a trail concept to link Terre Haute to Rockville, Indiana through covered bridge country (click here for full story).

INDOT Approves Greencastle's Campus Link Trail

In late August, INDOT notified People Pathways and the city of Greencastle that it approved changing their Transportation Enhancement (TE) grant project to the new 3.8-mile Campus Link Trail. Part of this new trail route will serve as the NRHT across Greencastle as well as provide a connection from the existing People Pathways Trail east of the city to the Depauw University campus and to the Nature Park on the west side of the city. The combined Campus Link and Fillmore-Greencastle People Pathways trails will provide a continuous 6 miles of the NRHT in Putnam County. Click here to see a map.

The original TE project included a hospital loop trail connected with a trailhead on Veteran's Memorial Highway. Problems with access to a particular piece of property on this route and little support from the hospital led to reassessment of the route, especially in light of the growing endorsements by local organizations and officials to accommodate the NRHT. Click here to see a map.

Madison Receives $50,000 grant from Hospital - August 31, 2005

The Community Health Initiative Endowment of the King's Daughters' Hospital and Health Services in Madison, Indiana presented the Heritage Trail of Madison a $50,000 award last week. The funds will go toward the required match for a $1 million Transportation Enhancements award from 2002 to continue building the Heritage Trail. The city of Madison also provided $200,000 toward the match. Currently the 1-mile open trail connects the Madison State Hospital, overlooking the hilltop bluff, with the base of the hill near downtown. Future phases will continue the trail into downtown Madison and provide a connection to Clifty Falls State Park. An historic bridge, relocated from Jackson County, will provide crossing of Clifty Creek into downtown.

The medical business community has become one of the primary sources of private funding for trails in Indiana. Other recent examples include:

Logansport Memorial Hospital and its staff provided over $100,000 in grants to open the popular River Bluff Trail
Hendricks Community Hospital provided sponsorship for the B&O Trail Association
Kendrick Memorial Foundation funded the greenways plan for Morgan County
Kosciusko Community Hospital in Warsaw donated land for the city's Lake City Greenway

Questions, comments, new info? Please contact us.