Phase I, the Greencastle/Fillmore Trail, connects the City of Greencastle to the Town of Fillmore with a 3.1-mile crushed aggregate trail that was totally funded and constructed by community volunteers on an unused railroad right-of-way and sewer line easement. A Putnam County Community Foundation Challenge Grant, donations, and contributions of in-kind services helped develop the trail that has been actively enjoyed by the community since opening in May 1999. Total investment in cash and in-kind services for Phase I was $68,617.

Phase II, the Sports Park Link, is a 2-mile separately paved trail connecting eastside residential neighborhoods with Big Walnut Sports Park and the community’s industrial park. Grants from the Lilly Endowment through the Putnam County Community Foundation, CINergy/PSI, Indiana Gas, and Wal-Mart supported this phase. This phase opened May 18, 2002. Total investment was $139,511.

Phase III, the Albin Pond Trail will address longstanding safety concerns as we connect four local schools, a nature center, ties to Phase I and II, and ties to recently completed City funded sidewalk improvements. Funding for Phase III was generated through combined sources. A $72,000 grant from the Putnam County Community Foundation and a $125,000 appropriation by the City of Greencastle leveraged 80% of the construction costs from an INDOT TE-21 Transportation Enhancement Grant for $469,917.00. The engineering design of the trail is complete, appraisals are complete, and land acquisition for right-of-way will begin soon. Bid letting is anticipated by summer 2006. Our schedule is subject to revision by INDOT.

Phase IV, the Campus Link Trail, involves the construction of a dedicated 3.95-mmile paved multi-use trail. The Campus Link Trail will provide significant community access from Greencastle’s central business district to DePauw University’s intramural athletic fields, DePauw’s Nature Preserve/Arboretum, the proposed Veteran’s Memorial Park, campuses of Greencastle School Corporation, Rokicki Park and proposed site of a new Ivy Tech State College satellite campus, and finally linking directly to two existing phases of the People Pathways network and the Area 30 Career Center. The Campus Link Trail will also offer an important connection to the developing National Road Heritage Trail, a 150-mile cross-state continuous system of multi-use trails.

People Pathways has a history of developing partnerships for funding greenway development. On December 19, 2003, the City of Greencastle was awarded an Indiana Department of Transportation TE-21 Enhancement Grant for the construction of Phase IV, the Campus Link Trail. This federally funded program provides 80% ($905,410) of the cost of the project. The local community must provide 20% ($226,352), which covers items such as engineering and land acquisition. At this time, a portion of the local match has been pledged through the partnership of the Coleman Foundation and two local entities. Donations or expansion of easements and use of existing city/county property will also meet a portion of the 20%local match. Currently, a portion of the preliminary engineering for the Campus Link Trail has been completed.

Phase V, the Big Walnut Sports Park Loop Trail, is a 10-foot wide paved trail around the perimeter of Big Walnut Sports Park. The Sports Park Loop connects with the already completed Phase I, the Greencastle/Fillmore Trail, and Phase II, the Sports Park Link. The cost of the 1.28-mile trail was $184.067.50. Funds for construction were generated through the partnership of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Recreational Trails Grants Program, the Greencastle Redevelopment Commission, the Big Walnut Sports Park Board, the Greencastle Parks and Recreation Department, and the People Pathways Planning Committee. The Big Walnut Sports Park Loop Trail was opened in March 2005.


Pedestrian/Bicycle Friendly Community

Many streets and county roads have been signed for the People Pathways system. Logo route markers and "share-the-road’ warning signs have been installed as our community trail network develops and grows.

Our total community benefits from greenway development. Our experience has shown that Pathway users are a diverse group whose age range is from very young to very old, whose socio/economic class is varied, whose skin tones are many shades, and whose fitness level is from very fit to trying-to-be-fit. The vitality demonstrated on the Pathway system is contagious as we see more and more citizens participating! Additionally, our community benefits by enhanced civility toward each other as people share our "linear park" and engage in positive activities.

Our vision for the future is to complete the People Pathways Project and be ready to connect to the trail systems of neighboring Indiana communities beyond Putnam County’s borders. We can do it if we work together.