Meeting held over lack of progress and transparency in South Bend city bike routes development project
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- County Surveyor Derek Dieter held a meeting discussing the lack of progress and transparency in the city's bike routes development project.
The project that Dieter is proposing aims to connect more of the west side of South Bend to the eastside. Dieter advocates for a more inclusive and redesigned trail system that people would love to bike.
"I know that they had preliminary plans and they talked about it at the meeting the other night of going down college, which my personal view, I think this is a much easier. It's much safer. You're a light. There's not much traffic on that road, as opposed to going a block and a half, trying to cross. And I think Lincoln Way is probably the third highest traffic count in South Bend, so hopefully the city we want them to look at this and encourage it, and that's one of the many reasons we've been so in tune of what was going on because the public hasn't been asked, spoke to." says Dieter.
Dieter proposes a bike trail that would connect the MLK Dream Center, Kennedy Park and Pool and Charles Black Community Center, named a Marshall "Major" Taylor trail. Named after the Hoosier-born, world cycling champion.
Locations proposed in the
According to the South Bend Venue Parks and Arts (SBVPA) website, the coal line trail is already planned to be extended from Lincolnway to Western Avenue, a route that would likely connect the MLK Dream Center.
" The Coal Line Trail will enhance and allow pedestrian and cyclists to follow the old Notre Dame and Western coal line (now Norfolk Southern) and connect from Western Avenue to the East Bank Trail at Angela Boulevard. The Coal Line Trail project will be developed through three phases and predominately follow the old railroad bed. The different phase limits are:
- Phase I (Opened November 2022): from Lincolnway West northwesterly to Riverside Drive.
- Phase II: from Riverside Drive across the St. Joseph River to the east to Angela Boulevard and connection to the East Bank Trail.
- Future Phase: from Lincolnway West to the south to Cherry Street and connecting to Western Avenue. (Not included in current scope of work) "
Route described by the SBVPA website on the Phase III Coat Line extension