As members of the Monticello Indana community, we are happy with the annoucement regarding the plans of the trails coming to Monticello Indiana.

Below is information from the Herald Journal printed August 15th, 2008.

A recreation of the map displayed next to the article. (click to enlarge)



Map notes:
This map, made by Phil Prescott and presented to the public Thursday evening, is only a tentative plan of what a fully-developed Monticello trails system could look like. The blue line is a trail occupying the abandoned CSX rail corridor; the red line indicates a trial along Sixth Street; both are among the first trails planned. Additional trials include the pink line, along Gordon Road; the purple line indicates a South Street trial; the aqua-blue line will connect Oaklawn Elementary; and the green line shows a trail planned to connect the others to Bluewater park and Woodlawn Elementary.

Happy trails coming soon
Group hopes trails will connect people with places.

Scott Allen - TheHJ.com
Reporter

If plans by parks and city officials go well, Monticello residents will be hitting the trails within a few years - without leaving the city.
During a meeting Thursday night, Parks Superintendent Mitch Billue was joined by fellow trail/greenway enthusiasts Phil Prescott, Kevin Luse and Chris Venters to present a tentative plan to and gather input from the public. City officials including council members and Mayor Jason Thompson were also in attendance.
The meeting began in the Anheier Building at City Park.
"This is kind of an exciting thing for me as far as the trails coming together for Monticello," Billue said.
He explained that a five-year master plan, completed earlier in 2008, had gathered data showing a real desire by citizens for a trails system in Monticello.
"Trails were the number one priority of people surveyed," said Billue. "We had a 25 percent return rate on those surveys, which is very good.
"So it's a really good indicator of what people want," he continued. "Eight-five percent of those surveyed wanted trails."
Prescott displayed a PowerPoint presentation detailing definitions of trail systems, visions for Monticello, objectives for a local trail system and more.
Prescott explained that often the terms "greenways" and "trails" are interchangeable; and that both are corridors of protected space that often follow land or water features. They often link nature reserves, parks, cultural features, schools and historic sites.
"Trails are pathways designed for use by non-motorized transportation," Prescott said, saying that oftentimes rail and utility corridors and painted lanes along streets are used as trails.
Using images and data strictly from within Indiana, Prescott explained the benefits of a local trail system.
"The vision is to establish a city-wide system of greenways ... to link the community together," he said. "It can be used to strengthen the local economy."
The economy would benefit by bringing tourism and trail-related businesses like trail-side cafes, bike shops and convenience centers.
"Greenways, parks and trails provide great settings for multi-disciplinary education," Prescott said. "They serve as outdoor classrooms."
"One of the important things here is recreational health," he said, explaining trails were a safe way for everyone to exercise.
"This is what we're thinking of when we're looking at trails: family activities," Prescott described. "These corridors can be used to get around Monticello without a car."
The trails would be acceptable for walking, running, jogging, and cycling; anything non-motorized with the exception of mobility devices for the disabled.
Prescott stated that the group was looking for opportunities, such as rail corridors, donated property and already-public ground on which to build trails. He displayed a map showing proposed routes of potential trails, connecting schools, parks, Indiana Beach and more in all directions of Monticello.
Looking at liability, Prescott explained the trails would have to be maintained and "at your own risk" signs would be needed.
"Obviously we would need some kind of trail patrol if it's heavily used," Prescott said. "Use would be limited to sunrise to sunset for safety reasons."
Turning to property values, research gathered from other Indiana communities was promising.
A 2001 Indiana University study looked at the effects of trails on six communities. In four of the six communities, trail-side neighbors perceived them to have improved properties. One of the other two had equal perceptions of positive and negative trail influence while the last, Portage, felt the trail had a negative impact.
"Fifty to 70 percent (of homeowners) perceived their property value was enhanced; they found it easier to sell because of access to trails," said Prescott.
Billue and Prescott also fielded questions from the crowd gathered.
"Hopefully that's what we're going to get tonight, is a show of support," said Billue in response to a question about community backing.
Billue emphasized the trails group would work with landowners.
"They're going to benefit and the community will benefit from their help," he said.
The duo planned to look for grant money, community support and fundraising efforts to make a Monticello trails system happen. Billue also hoped to connect with other trails systems.
"Then you could ride a bike from here clear to Delphi," he said. "We're trying to hit as many points of interest as possible when developing these trails.
"I think this is something that will really improve our community," he concluded. "It's an avenue to pull people into the community and take people in the community to places of interest."
Downtown Monticello resident Linda Harmon was happy to hear an enthusiastic plan, and offered her help to the development of trails.
"It seems to me it would be a really healthy way for kids and people my age to get out and walk, bike, even rollerblade," she said. "I'd like to see it for our young people to get back and forth to school."
Harmon admitted the trails would benefit her personally, but felt it would benefit everyone, also.
"I have biked for many years," she said. "One of the routes I see on this map is the route I take. I'd like to take my grandkids on it, but the Tioga Bridge is too dangerous to take them on.
"I'd like a nice, safe place for my grandchildren and other children; that's a paramount concern for me, that it's safe for families with children."
Thompson was ecstatic to see that a plan for a trails system was coming together, and was enthusiastic to back the project.
"It's one of those things that if you're going to be an aggressive community, you have to have it," he said. "It's a pretty proven fact now that if you don't have trails, outdoor recreation and health and fitness things people can do outside, you're not a competing community.
"People may say, 'why do you have to be a competing community?' Well, you always want to be out there to try to land not just factory jobs but we also want people to think of us to move here," Thompson explained. "Trails and parks are obviously a piece of the puzzle to be a very successful community."
"It has to be community-driven; if you don't have people that are behind it it's not going to go," he continued. "It can be people with some property and nice big backyards that let us run along the roads and things like that.
"We have to fire the community up, get people to really understand the value that it adds to their property."