Living near Detroit, I'm especially aware of our lack of alternatives to driving a car to get around town, and I love seeing effort by cities to be more pedestrian-friendly and offer more non-automotive transportation options.
So, I became curious when I spotted signs for the Monon Greenway through Carmel, Indiana and saw the number of folks using that city's rail-to-trail system to get around town, even during a couple of dreary and rainy November days when we last visited that city.
I discovered that Carmel's Monon Greenway was just part of a larger system of popular walking, hiking, biking and rollerblading trails in and around Indianapolis.
The original Monon Railroad began in 1853 as a transportation system for Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville that eventually included 300 miles of track running between Lake Michigan and the Ohio River. The railroad's main lines formed an "X" over Indiana, with its major intersection at the town of Monon, Indiana.
The name of Monon came from a Potawatomi word, "monong", that meant "swift running". Seems like a great name for a trail to me!
The railroad eventually fell into disuse and the company abandoned the rail line in 1987.
The idea of turning the rail system into a trail system in the Indianapolis caught the imagination of alternative transportation activists and 1999 saw the first ten miles of the Monon Trail completed.
The City of Carmel established a connection to the Monon Trail with the completion of its own 5.2-mile Monon Greenway in 2001-2002.
The Monon Trail, Monon Greenway and a short trail extension into Westerfield completed in 2008 is a 16.7-mile trail system that draws 1.3 million bicyclists and pedestrians every year, with commuters accounting for 20 percent of all of those trips.
The Monon Greenway runs directly through Carmel's City Center with its Arts and Design District and offers easy access to a variety of schools, parks, restaurants, businesses and attractions like Carmel Center for the Performing Arts and a historical museum in the railroad's former depot. Greenway users can link into the larger Monon system to travel to Indianapolis itself and places like the State Fairgrounds and the Indianapolis Art Center.
We spotted the Greenway as it ran alongside residential areas, Bub's Cafe, the Children's Art Gallery and many of the life-like John Seward Johnson sculptures in Carmel.
The city of Carmel owns the Monon Greenway and the Carmel Clay Parks & Recreation Department maintains and manages the asphalt trail.
The 10' to 15' wide trail easily accommodates two-way traffic and is accessible to those using wheelchairs. It considered a major route through town and has posted speed limits not exceeding 20 m.p.h. It is open from dawn until dusk and dog owners may bring along their leashed pets.
Parking is available south of Carmel's Main Street and at the 96th Street trailhead.
Work continues along the Greenway with improvements like the construction of an overpass at Carmel Drive to provide trail users with as few intersections with automotive traffic as possible, but it seems investments like this $3,300,000 project are worthwhile as Carmel realized the benefit of other investments made within six blocks of the Greenway.
You can easily find maps and apps about the Greenway online marked with the location of businesses, services and amenities along the trail like parks and restrooms.
Thanks to the Hamilton County Convention and Visitors Bureau for sponsoring my visit to Hamilton County, providing lodging, meals and a tour of Hamilton County attractions for my review during my recent visit there, with no further compensation. I was free to express my own opinions about the stay and experiences, and the opinions expressed here are mine.
© Dominique King 2013 All rights reserved
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