Serious effort begins to seek link between 2 major trails for a regional destination

If filled, a roughly 11-mile trail gap east of Mishawaka would create a full path running all the way from Shipshewana to Niles. And that doesn’t include current efforts to extend the trail to Berrien Springs , with hopes of one day also reaching Lake Michigan and Chicago.

For now, MACOG recently secured an $816,800 federal grant to plan and partially engineer a link from Mishawaka to Elkhart. It would unite two large trail systems: namely, the 17-mile Indiana Michigan River Valley Trail from Mishawaka to Niles and the trails in Elkhart and Goshen that hook up with the nearly 18-mile Pumpkinvine Nature Trail to Shipshewana.

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Local governmental officials have scratched their heads over how or where they’d ever make the link between the Mishawaka Riverwalk at Central Park and the Riverwalk in downtown Elkhart.

But a group of them and trail advocates started meeting a couple of years ago. That led MACOG to move talk toward reality with the federal RAISE grant (Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity), MACOG active transportation planner Dustin New says.

The required match of $204,200 would likely come from the county and city governments, he says.

Where would the route go? New isn't ready to talk about that at this early stage since there are a number of options, depending on what is most feasible. But public input would eventually be a large part of this, he assures.

It may be more of a jagged configuration than a straight east-west line between the two trail ends. The existing north-south trail along Capital Avenue "gives us a lot of flexibility,” New says, for route options anywhere between the Indiana Toll Road and the St. Joseph Valley Parkway.

The project will also research where along the trail there could be trailheads with electrical vehicle charging stations and docking stations for a possible bike share program. The project would also consider bus transit connections.

More from Outdoor Adventures: Trail cracks call for attention in South Bend and north. Data bike maps the bumpy issues.

Learn, sound off on trails

∎ Safety survey: Take a brief survey from MACOG on how to make biking, walking, rolling and driving safer in St. Joseph, Elkhart, Marshall and Kosciusko counties. The online survey at movesafe.macog.com is in both English and Spanish and is available until Aug. 22. But there is also an interactive map where you can respond to other people’s comments. Or you can create your own concern or comment for a specific location. Follow the instructions through the dark blue bar along the top. Your input will help to drive a Regional Transportation Safety Action Plan, thanks to a federal Safe Streets and Roads for All grant. The plan will guide local agencies in their policies and visions for transportation.

∎ Granger Paths plan: The Friends of Granger Paths invites the public to an “open forum” where it will take thoughts, ideas and feedback for the future trail plans (that is, its master plan) at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 8 at the Harris Branch Library at 51446 Elm Road, Granger.

∎ Maps: For a map of paved trails and bike lanes in St. Joseph, Elkhart, Marshall and Kosciusko counties, visit www.macog.com/docs/transportation/active/bike_map.pdf . MACOG is in the process of updating the maps and creating a map app, perhaps ready late in 2024.

Find columnist Joseph Dits on Facebook at SBTOutdoorAdventures or 574-235-6158 or jdits@sbtinfo.com .

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Serious effort begins to seek link between 2 major trails for a regional destination