INDIANAPOLIS (WRTV) — City leaders on Wednesday marked 20 years of biking, running, and walking on the Indianapolis Cultural Trail.
“I think everyone uses it and everyone loves it. It’s really the best way to experience the city,” Karen Haley, executive director of the Indianapolis Cultural Trail, said.
Over the last two decades, the 10-mile linear park has created $3 billion in assessed property value along its path, funding that supports city and other government services, according to a new report.
The report, based on an analysis by real estate, planning, and economic development advisers JLP+D, shows that retail space next to the Trail has also increased by 39%, and food and beverage sales along the Trail are nearly double the city’s average per square foot.
Leaders with the Indianapolis Cultural Trail say more than 1 million people use the Cultural Trail each year for commuting and transportation, recreation and exercise, and to explore the city. Nearly half (47%) of downtown Indianapolis residents live within a three-minute walk of the Trail.
Chris Gahl, executive vice president and chief business officer for Visit Indy, says the Trail is also helping local businesses, including the more than 20 hotels that sit along it.
“It’s transformed Indianapolis. It’s helped us drive tourism; it’s created another opportunity for people to come check out our city.”
Click here to learn more about the Indianapolis Cultural Trail.
