Link Trail connecting Notre Dame to downtown South Bend

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Walking along the 1.5-mile Link Trail can get you from downtown South Bend to the Notre Dame campus or vice-versa in approximately a half an hour.

Bridging the trip from the Morris Performing Arts Center to Eddy Street Commons, this well-lit and newly landscaped path allows pedestrians and bikers to travel safely.

The 3.5-million-dollar investment from the St. Joesph County hotel motel tax board hopes to bring tourists from downtowns 618 hotel rooms straight to the golden dome, alongside students and faculty to take advantage of local shops, bars, and restaurants.

The new trail brings optimism for downtown business owners. Joe Mittiga, the owner of Corby's stated that the trails finalization played a big role in why he's planning to expand his own business.

“Before I made this large investment into the business, I’ve been waiting for a long time for a lot of factors to change for the better the neighborhood hearing about the bike trail in Notre Dame to downtown to the campus is just another reason, just the cherry on top as far as my confidence to make the investment.” said Mittiga.

The South Bend Police Department says the $3.5 million investment from the county’s hotel-motel tax board isn’t only beneficial from an economic standpoint but also enhances the safety of individuals.

"Makes a safe space for pedestrians." stated Lt. Brad Rohrscheib of SBPD Traffic and Special Events.