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May 2013

On May 8 on the trail site in Coatesville, Duke Energy's Central District Manager, Steve Bahr, presented to Greg Midgley a check from the Duke Energy Foundation for $3,000 (photo below) to help the Friends of the Vandalia Trail and National Road Heritage Trail, Inc with the new trail construction across the center of the town of Coatesville. This new construction will include a paved bike/pedestrian trail and parallel packed stone equestrian trail from Milton Street to Mill Street. This continues Duke Energy Foundation's much appreciated support of the Vandalia Trail following up their previous grant for trail construction in Putnam County.


Steve Bahr (right) presents Duke Energy Foundation grant check to Greg Midgley (left) of NRHT, Inc and Friends of the Vandalia Trail.

The Central Indiana Bicycling Association Foundation also provided a $2,500 grant in March to help with this Coatesville trail construction project, following a series of similar grants that they have provided for sections of the Vandalia Trail in Hendricks and Putnam Counties over the past 7 years. Of particular interest in this Coatesville project for cyclists is the paved surface that will provide a smooth ride for the long distance riders passing through town, but also a nice local facility for young riders to enjoy off of the street.

The Town of Coatesville has been very supportive of this objective, providing access to this ideal route for the trail along the southern half of its former railroad corridor and inspiring Friends of the Vandalia Trail to upgrade the design of this section of the trail to be an inviting amenity both for trail users and local residents. The town has also offered their expertise, equipment, and manpower to make possible installation of the many trail boundary posts, as they had previously done on the sections of trail to the east and west.

Hendricks County Parks & Recreation also continues their valuable partnership with Friends of the Vandalia Trail by offering to put the finishing touches on this section with the entrance structures of the same design as they have built and installed at all of the other key trail entrances between Amo and Coatesville.

Local residents and recent visitors have seen that trail construction has already begun on this new section. The CIBA Foundation grant and private donations allowed Friends of the Vandalia Trail to launch construction of Phase 1 this Spring which will create the basic trail area. The Duke Energy Foundation grant and other fundraising will enable Phase 2 which will include paving the entire bike/pedestrian route from Milton Street to Mill Street along with adding finishing touches. Phase 2 is targeted for late summer or early Fall.