People Pathways Endowment Fund

Year Founded
2006

Purpose of Fund
The primary purpose of the Fund shall be to provide financial support for trail maintenance, beautification, and projects of People Pathways located in Putnam County, Indiana.

History of Fund

People Pathways is a volunteer group established in 1995 whose vision and goal is to enhance the quality of life of Greencastle/Putnam County by developing a network of multi-use trails to promote community connections, civility, interaction, good health, and safety.

• The mission of People Pathways located in Putnam County, Indiana is to:
• Foster the physical and mental health of the citizens of our community;
• Nurture healthy families;
• Supply a healthy workforce for our businesses and industries;
• Stimulate interaction between diverse groups within our community;
• Enhance the small town appeal of our community.

Through a partnership of public and private entities, People Pathways has made steady progress toward our vision and goal since its inception. After soliciting community input through a series of presentations and public meetings, the preliminary People Pathways System was unanimously approved by the Greencastle Park Board, Greencastle Plan Commission, the Greencastle City Council, and the Putnam County Commissioners. The People Pathways Plan is an officially adopted part of the Greencastle Comprehensive Plan.

Implementation of the People Pathways System is being done in phases as opportunities and funds become available.

PEOPLE PATHWAYS SYSTEM

To date, five phases of the master plan have been pursued:

Phase I, the Greencastle/Fillmore Trail, connects the City of Greencastle to the Town of Fillmore with a 3.1 mile crushed aggregate trail that was totally funded and constructed by community volunteers on an unused railroad right-of-way and sewer line easement. A Putnam County Community Foundation Challenge Grant, donations, and contributions of in-kind services helped develop the trail that has been actively enjoyed by the community since opening in May 1999.

Phase II, the Big Walnut Sports Park Link, is a 2-mile separately paved trail connecting eastside residential neighborhoods with Big Walnut Sports Park and the community's industrial park. Grants from the Lilly Endowment through the Putnam County Community Foundation, CINergy/PSI,lndiana Gas, and Wal��Mart supported this Phase. This phase opened May 18, 2002.

Phase III, the Albin Pond Trail will address longstanding safety concerns as we connect four local schools, a nature center, ties to Phase I and II, and ties to recently completed City funded sidewalk improvements. Funding for Phase III was generated through combined sources: a grant from the Putnam County Community Foundation, the City of Greencastle, an INDOT Transportation, Enhancement Grant, and a Safe Routes to School Grant. Appraisals are. complete and ready for land acquisition. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2007.

Phase IV, the Campus Link Trail, involves the construction of a dedicated 3.95��mile paved multi-use trail. The Campus Link Trail will provide significant community access from Greencastle's central business district to DePauw University's intramural athletic fields, DePauw's Nature Preserve/Arboretum, the proposed Veteran's Memorial Park, campuses of Greencastle School Corporation, Rokicki Park and proposed site of a new Ivy Tech State College satellite campus, and finally linking directly to two existing phases of the People Pathways network and the Area 30 Career Center. The Campus Link Trail will also offer an important connection to the developing National Road Heritage Trail, a 150-mile cross-state continuous system of multi-use trails.

At this time, funding in the pipeline for Phase IV has been generated through a partnership of the Coleman Foundation, DePauw University, an INDOT Enhancement Grant, a written commitment by Heartland Automotive, and the City of Greencastle. Currently, a portion of the preliminary Engineering for the Campus Link Trail has been completed.

Phase V, the Big Walnut Sports Park Loop Trail, is a 10-foot wide paved trail around the perimeter of' Big Walnut Sports Park, a county-wide youth/sports facility. The Sports Park Loop connects with the already completed Phase I, the Greencastle/Fillmore Trail and Phase II, the Sports Park Link. Funds for the construction were generated through the partnership of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Recreational Trails Grants Program, The Greencastle Redevelopment Commission, the Big Walnut Sports Park Board, the Greencastle Parks and Recreation Department and the People Pathways Planning Committee. Th_ Big Walnut Sports Park Loop Trail was opened in March 2005.

Signed Paths have been identified by using logo route markers and "share-the-��road" warning signs along many streets and county roads to indicate pedestrian/bicycle friendly routes as our community's trail system develops and grows. A People Pathways System map has been created to show trail routes and connections.