[IndianaTrails] Fw: Monon turns 10 yrs old

Sun Jun 25 06:07:34 PDT 2006

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Jeff Ray 
To: Richard Vonnegut 
Sent: Sunday, June 25, 2006 9:06 AM
Subject: Monon turns 10 yrs old

June 25, 2006

The Monon turns 10!
>From humble beginnings, trail has become beloved showpiece

By Will Higgins
will.higgins at indystar.com

What was once an abandoned strip of weeds running through Indianapolis' backyard is today something Hoosiers show off to their out-of-town guests.

            Storied steps: Ray Irvin (left), a former Indianapolis parks official and a key player in the development of the Monon Trail, accompanied Mayor Bart Peterson and others along the trail Saturday. - Robert Scheer / The Star 

The Monon Trail celebrated its 10th anniversary Saturday, and in that time the 15.7-mile strip of pavement connecting Indianapolis and Carmel has become a major community asset.
The trail beckons bikers, joggers, walkers and, more recently, developers who are putting high-end condos along the trail.
In an area bereft of mountains and lakes, the former rail line is the next best thing, and we know it: The trail draws an estimated 1.2 million "visits" annually, according to the Greenways Foundation, a charitable trust working to promote and enhance Central Indiana greenways.
Janet Adams, 49, lives in a condominium along the Monon and runs on the trail most days. She has friends with condos offering views of the White River, but she prefers the trail.
"In my eyes, this is better than waterfront," said Adams, who works as a physician liaison for Clarian Health Partners.
The transformation started in 1989 when the city bought the Marion County section of the rail line for $256,000. After a debate over whether to use the land for light rail or recreation, the first section of trail, between 86th Street and Broad Ripple, opened in June 1996.
For some, the Monon is the front door to Broad Ripple's trendy restaurants and bars. Others talk about the scenic beauty and the picturesque bridges along the trail.
And then there are the people who live along the Monon and give it character.
     Related articles
            . Cars, not trail users, have right of way
            . User's guide to the trail
            . Popularity means change for trail 

Call Star reporter Will Higgins at (317) 444-6043.

Related links
. Interactive feature on the Monon Trail
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: /pipermail/list_indianatrails.org/attachments/20060625/373b23e8/attachment.htm 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/gif
Size: 43 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : /pipermail/list_indianatrails.org/attachments/20060625/373b23e8/attachment.gif 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: application/octet-stream
Size: 3686 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : /pipermail/list_indianatrails.org/attachments/20060625/373b23e8/attachment.obj 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/gif
Size: 957 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : /pipermail/list_indianatrails.org/attachments/20060625/373b23e8/attachment-0001.gif 