INDIANAPOLIS — Gov. Eric Holcomb announced 17 communities will receive a combined total of about $25 million for 42 miles of new trail development around the state.
The Speedway Trail Association will get nearly $5 million of those dollars to acquire and develop about 2.5 miles of new trail. The trail will connect Speedway to Michigan Street to the east, and Speedway to Girls School Road to the west.
"This is not just a health initiative. But it's also an economic development initiative," Governor Holcomb said. "We've heard from so many folks who want to create an even better quality of place, a better quality of life - all the amenities that can be connected to one another."
Gov. Holcomb announced the winners of the grant on Friday at Speedway Indoor Karting, next to the B&O Trail, with Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett, Town of Speedway manager Jacob Blasdel and other leaders.
The grants awarded in the first round include ten regional projects and seven local projects from across the state. The seven local projects include Brown County, Carroll County, Delaware County, Hancock County and more.
The list of awards, project descriptions and a map can be found here.
Governor Holcomb says trails can drive the economy because cities can build around them. For instance, putting restaurants alongside the trails. Residents already see this along the Monon Trail, especially in Carmel.
The Governor also added that this is just the first phase. Another round of money for new trails in different communities is in the works.
The funding is part of a Next Level Trails grant. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources received applications for 82 projects located in 42 counties, requesting a total of nearly $144 million in funding for more than 240 proposed miles of hiking, biking, and riding trails.
