Page 24 - New Allen Alliance Digital Book

2014. In Durham, NC, a small but strategic connection between two existing trails
increased annual spending by trail users from $2.4 million to $6.1 million. In Indiana,
Project Activities: Sidewalk & Trail Connections most trail users have been local residents looking for fitness and recreation, but
connecting the existing trails would present an opportunity for a longer adventure.”

Sidewalk Connections The Cedar Creek Parks Trail is a proposed 8-mile trail that connects six parks
In the book Sustainable and Resilient Communities: A Comprehensive Action in Cedar Creek Township including: the Metea County Park, Leo-Cedarville Park,
Plan for Towns, Cities and Regions, Stephen Coyle explains that original plats of Riverside Park, Jack Harris Park, iAB Baseball Complex, and the Hurshtown
Reservoir Park as well as the downtowns of Leo-Cedarville and Grabill (being
our communities demonstrate a resilient, low carbon design. Developed in the late proposed for Stellar Streetscape Enhancement). This trail will serve as a regional
nineteenth – twentieth centuries, these areas are more compact with pedestrian connector improving pedestrian safety, provide opportunities for recreation and
scale blocks and streets. Residential, commercial and civic spaces are integrated physical activity, and serve as a tourism draw for the region. Both Leo-Cedarville
into mixed use patterns. Park and recreation facilities are valued as important and Grabill are already destinations for backyard tourism due to their high-quality
natural and cultural gathering places within each community and receive prominent parks and Grabill’s Amish-themed businesses.
placement in centrally located squares with accessibility to neighborhoods. As
communities have grown, a more conventional, high-carbon design has taken The trail will connect into the Allen County/Fort Wayne Trails area network through
shape. In Northeast Indiana, our region experienced a history of a high-carbon a 3.5-mile extension from Metea Park to the Parkview Regional Medical Center to
design Coyle describes as suburban development brought on in the mid-1900s the west along Union Chapel Road and the United Trails of Northeast Indiana via
by the introduction of the automobile and emerging through the enforcement of the Poka-Bache Connector under development in Northeast Indiana. The Cedar
separate use zoning with minimal focus on walking or biking as a possible mode Creek Parks Trail will complement the overall 110 miles of existing trail in the
of transportation. This plan invests in re-establishing community connectedness. county-wide system, which also draws people to the downtown Regional City of
According to Creating Connected Communities: A Guidebook for Improving Fort Wayne, Indiana. In the next five years, approximately 25 miles of trail are being
Transportation Connections for Low-and Moderate-Income Households in Small planned to add to the existing network.
and Mid-Sized Cities, connected communities are comprised of walkable attributes
such as sidewalks, bike lanes, trails, street trees, street lights, and bike racks. They Five million dollars has been committed to the project from the Allen County
also provide accessible places such as parks, shops, schools and libraries where Commissioners, Allen County Capital Improvement Board, Leo-Cedarville, and
people can connect with one another. Grabill. Another $1 million request is pending with the Allen County Council to
nearly complete funding needed. Fort Wayne Trails is a committed partner and
Within this plan, sidewalk connectivity and ADA accessibility is also identified as a is working with local citizens in Leo-Cedarville and Grabill to raise private dollars
priority. Both the Woodburn Downtown and Park Sidewalk Connection Project for amenities along the trail, signage and gap funding for construction. Additional
and the Monroeville Forest Street Sidewalk Project are identified for Stellar dollars will also be sought for the above- mentioned Union Chapel extension from
funding. Sidewalks have been integrated into complete street projects including Governor Holcomb’s Next Level Connections funding.
Monroeville’s Monroe Street Corridor Project proposed for Stellar funding, the
NIRCC (INDOT Urban) funded Landin Road/Broadway Improvement Project in and The Meadowbrook Trail is the second trail in the portfolio and a proposed Stellar
near downtown New Haven, and the NIRCC (INDOT Urban) funded Amstutz Road project. The 1.75-mile trail consists of a new pathway to provide pedestrian
Project along Leo Elementary and High Schools in Leo-Cedarville. Each project connectivity to the New Haven Community Center (a proposed Stellar project), the
provides connections to downtowns, parks, and neighborhoods. Kady Gene Cove Senior Housing Project (a proposed Stellar project) as well as to
connect the Meadowbrook neighborhood into the city sidewalk system. The future
Trail Connections EACS Career and Tech Center is located within the Meadowbrook neighborhood
Connecting to nature through the construction of trails was a significant element and will eventually have sidewalks linking into the system. The Meadowbrook
within the Northeast Indiana Road to One Million Plan. As the plan states, Trail will provide near complete connection of New Haven’s neighborhoods into its
“Regional trail systems offer distinct advantages over short, local trails directly, in sidewalk system. The trail will cross the future Six Mile Trail which will be a regional
part because of overnight stays. Trail tourists along the Great Allegheny Passage, connector within the Fort Wayne Rivergreenway system. Planned improvements at
for example, spend about $114 per day in trail communities, and business owners the Monroeville Community Park and Woodburn Community Park also both include
along the Erie to Pittsburgh trail attributed 20% of their business to the trail in new internal park trails.

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