By PAULENE POPARAD

A regional bikeways committee certainly has its work cut out for it.

Three times as many people as usual attended a special meeting Thursday to lay out where future hike/bike trails could be located in Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties. The 30 people present eventually suggested at least 15 new trail connections or routes, one from Sunset Hill Farm in Liberty Township to Chesterton.

But the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission’s Transportation Enhancement Committee is hoping to designate new regional priority corridors rather than short trail segments, and many of the projects proposed won’t qualify.

The corridors would compete for federal funding, which used to be about $3 million a year for the NIRPC member counties, but this year only $1.5 million was awarded.

The current priority corridors, identified through a similar review process eight years ago, are the Erie Lackawana and Grand Calumet in Lake County; the Oak Savannah and Prairie Duneland in Porter County, the latter serving Chesterton now and Porter in the future; and the Little Calumet/Calumet that spans both counties.

The long-neglected Calumet Trail north of U.S. 12 in Porter County that winds through the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore recently re-opened following a major renovation.

In 1994, the region’s missing trail linkages were identified as and still are Hobart to Valparaiso, Chesterton to Valparaiso, Valparaiso to LaPorte, and Michigan City to LaPorte.

Thursday, Gary Babcoke of Friends of Chesterton Parks emphasized looking at the broader picture to assure Hoosier trailheads are built to connect to the Illinois and Michigan trail systems as well.

Mitch Barloga of Crown Point said a $12.3 million Pennsy Greenway trail is proposed for 15 miles of abandoned railroad right-of-way from Crown Point to Lansing, Ill. The trail is estimated to serve an immediate population of 109,000 and would connect directly to the 450-mile Burnham Greenway/Grand Illinois trail system in Illinois generating the potential to serve millions.

Laura New of Michigan City Parks said that city has the backing of Mayor Sheila Brillson to develop a more-defined trail system that would connect to existing trail routes in Michigan. Both the city and LaPorte County have less than desirable shared-road bikeways, said New, and planning is underway to develop separated trails to LaPorte and south county.

Trails from Michigan City east to South Bend and eventually Michigan also were suggested, prompting the suggestion to contact the Michiana Area Council of Governments for a trail status report there.

Porter County, too, has a signed bikeway route using county roads, but some present said they are not always safe. Tim Cole of the Porter County Parks Foundation said his group proposes an off-road trail between Sunset Hill on Meridian Road at U.S. 6 and a 19-acre wetland on the west side of Meridian Road south of Porter Avenue in Chesterton.

The Parks Foundation has acquired the parcel, which will become a new county park where a floating platform and observation deck will be built over a peat bog, funding permitting, for educational outreach.

Because Meridian is hilly and heavily traveled, Cole said using County Road 50W or an old Interurban Railway right-of-way for the trail is being considered. He also said four Duneland schools are within one mile of the future wetlands park, and that he would encourage greater involvement in the project by the Chesterton Park Department. The Sunset Hill trail would end near the Prairie Duneland.

Porter County Parks Superintendent Ed Melendez said the trail crossing at U.S. 6 will require close cooperation with the Indiana Department of Transportation. Mike O’Loughlin of INDOT, present Thursday, said letting the agency know well ahead of road reconstruction that trail plans are being developed is necessary.

Melendez also said possible trails are being studied through Sunset Hill from County Road 700N. Those present also noted the need to develop trail links to Kouts, LaPorte and Hobart. Denarie Kane of Hobart suggested using a parallel bikeway along Indiana 130 to link that city to Valparaiso.

Jan Dick of Valparaiso’s Pathway Committee said a new 1 1/2-mile dedicated trail beside Meridian to Rogers-Lakewood Park is built, but safe connections need to be made to Sunset Hill and other parts of the city.

Kane said in the committee’s deliberations on which trails to designate as priorities, whether they connect population centers and would utilize existing abandoned rights-of-way, rivers, utility corridors or road easements should be a primary consideration. An example later given was the Wabash rail right-of-way that might link Westville to Chesterton.

New said she would investigate a 1978 agreement with the South Shore Railroad and Northern Indiana Public Service Co. to use their rights-of-way for a pedestrian trail.

Among the other trails suggested was one through the city of Gary to connect natural resource areas. Gary representative Dorreen Carey expressed concern that “continually I hear people talking about going south to make a (trail) connection.” She said Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and local area leaders support a trail hugging the Lake Michigan shoreline.

It was agreed for the Nov. 21 meeting NIRPC staff would reduce the suggested trails to a list as well as provide an update of the status of the existing priority corridors, where gaps are located and where funded but unbuilt sections exist. Porter received $1 million last year for its Prairie Duneland section but only this summer agreed on a route.

A related issue discussed Thursday at some length was who is a member of the NIRPC bikeways committee, and who should be allowed to vote.

Shawn Pettit of Schererville, a former NIRPC staffer who helped draft the 1994 bikeways plan, said input from NIPSCO, biking enthusiasts and other non-government advocacy groups was helpful. Kane felt only those representing a county or local government should be allowed to vote. It generally was agreed each government represented should have only one vote, but whether non-government members can vote and other details were unresolved.

NIRPC bikeways coordinator John Chiabai said that agency has no formal policy for subcommittee membership. Bikeways Chairman Carl Fisher, Portage park superintendent, said if his committee can’t reach a consensus, NIRPC leadership may be asked to provide guidance.

Posted 10/25/2002