GETTING CONNECTED: Pennsy Trail expansion connects Greenfield to Cumberland

HANCOCK COUNTY — Mary Ann Wietbrock’s smile was about as broad as the 10-foot-wide Pennsy Trail when she cut the ribbon officially opening the newest stretch of the trail connecting Cumberland to the far west end of Greenfield on Tuesday, June 20.

About 30 state and local dignitaries gathered for the celebration at the new Eagle Station trailhead just west of South CR 400 West.

Wietbrock, president of Pennsy Trails of Hancock County, said volunteers have worked tirelessly to make the new 1.32-mile long extension possible, achieving a longtime goal of connecting the Pennsy Trail where a gap once existed between county roads 500 and 600 West. She said she and fellow trail advocates will continue to work on connecting the Pennsy Trail from CR 150 W to CR 400 W, where there remains a gap.

Representatives from the Department of Natural Resources, Hancock County Council, Community Foundation of Hancock County and local municipalities attended Tuesday’s ceremony, which officially opened the multi-use paved trail that can take users all the way from Greenfield to downtown Indianapolis by connecting to two other trail systems.

Greg Midgley, president of the National Road Heritage Trail organizaiton, said the ribbon cutting was a huge reason to celebrate in the ongoing quest to create a series of trails following the Old National Road (U.S. 40) from Richmond to Terre Haute.

“This section is the longest continuous section (of the heritage trail) — 20 miles from here down to the Indianapolis Zoo,” he said.

“You can ride your bike from here to the zoo and visit all the wonderful destinations in between,” said Midgley, including Cumberland, Irvington and Fountain Square.

The Pennsy Trail connects to the Pleasant Run Trail in Indianapolis, which then connects to the Indianapolis Cultural Trail leading to the zoo.

Mary Gibble, president of the Community Foundation of Hancock County, praised forward-thinking supporters for creating the latest local trail extension despite some residents’ reservations.

“I really want to congratulate the county government officials who have leaned into this along with partners from the state,” she said.

“Hancock County is… a private group and an ag-focused group, and sometimes a bit hesitant to go down the road of opening ourselves up in the way that a trail does when you connect ourselves to other communities, but I really want to congratulate the decision makers in helping make this possible,” she said.

“There are always going to be naysayers of trails, but sometimes we just have to create it and they will come, and that’s what we’re doing here.”

Hancock County engineer Gary Pool told the crowd that he was out running on the trail earlier that morning, “and I wasn’t alone,” he said.

“People are already out here enjoying it,” said Pool, adding that there’s more work to be done in expanding the county’s trail system.

“The county council just approved another $700,000 to help partner with INDOT to get more done in the future,” he said.

Trail Tenacity

Pool and several other speakers credited the hard work and tenacity of Wietbrock and Pennsy Trails of Hancock County members for their tenacity in making local trail expansions possible.

“It takes tenacity and determination, and that’s exactly what Mary Ann has shown,” said Steve Long, president of Hancock Health, a major sponsor for the latest trail expansion.

Long said that continuing to expand and connect the county’s trails plays right into Hancock Health’s mission to make Hancock County the healthiest county in the state.

“We want people to know that just by choosing to live in Hancock County, you will have a longer, happier, healthier life than if you choose to live anywhere else, and providing opportunities to move (exercise) goes a long way in making that possible,” he said.

Chris Smith, deputy director for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, praised local leaders for the hard work they’ve done in creating the latest expansion of the Pennsy Trail, which was constructed by Hancock County with help from a $670,803 Next Level Trails grant from the state.

“Thank you to everyone who had a hand in building this … Your vision is what brings us here today,” said Smith, who credited Gov. Eric Holcomb for launching the Next Level Trails program, the largest infusion of trails funding in state history.

The program, administered by the DNR, has granted $150 million so far to facilitate critical trail connections within and between Hoosier communities.

Including the Pennsy Trail, 20 of the 75 Next Level Trails projects are complete, totaling more than 62 miles of trail built since the program’s inception. An additional 44 miles is under construction, and more than 134 miles are in the pre-construction phase of development.

Smith said Next Level Trails program is nationally renowned for its innovation in providing a designated state funding source for trails, and has earned Holcomb the designation of Rail-Trail Champion by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, a national nonprofit working with communities to preserve unused rail corridors by transforming them into trails within the United States.

Smith said another $30 million will be available in the next round of NLT grants, which open July 1, with winners to be announced in December.

“That will lead to more trails, which will lead to more connectivity and more collaboration and more excitement… Together we’re continuing that momentum forward. One organization can’t do this alone. It takes a community to make this happen,” he said.

“On behalf of Gov. Holcomb, the DNR and Hoosiers across the landscape, thank each of your for your passion to bring trails to our community, where memories will be made for generations to come.”