ETC is actively realizing its mission to connect people to places, promote active living, and advocate for the development of multiuse trails. After numerous years dedicated to advocacy, trail planning, and overseeing promising trail initiatives and programs, the fruition of these efforts is now becoming evident through key partnerships and the latest grant submission effort.

This is the third Next Level Trail Grant (NLT) effort for ETC. Several disappointing past efforts to obtain an Indiana Department of Natural Resources, NLT grant has been realized in this 4th round of trail grants awards. ETC’s long-term goals to produce successful trail plans worthy of grant submissions has been the determined focal point of action for many years. Previous attempts include the 2019 submission for the 7-mile Eagle Creek Trail that provided a regional connection from downtown Evansville to the Angel Mounds State Historic Site connected Newburgh, Indiana To Evansville at Pollack Avenue. In 2021, the submission for the Roberts /Wesselman Park Loop Trail was submitted but proved unsuccessful, with ETC and Department of Parks returning to the planning table once again with a determination to increase the opportunity for award. Coordination and partnerships between ETC, Evansville Department of Parks and Recreation, the Buffalo Trace Council Boy Scouts of America, Indiana State Hospital, and the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation. Sections located on or along State Hospital grounds, Eykamp Center, and along the Harrison High School ball field properties will be integrated within the trail project. This collaborative effort to increase the project scope assisted with a unified approach to the Loop Trail NLT grant application. See the Press Release

The collaborations to increase the Evansville Region’s opportunities for similar grants will continue as many nonprofits, organizations, businesses, corporations, municipal departments and offices work together to coordinate the criteria needed for award. In example, ETC has contracted Butler Fairman and Seifert (BFS), a consultant to execute a regional trail master plan, so to create a plan to complete a continuous trail system network, featuring feasible corridors to neighborhoods, parks, and important destinations in Evansville and regional cities within our 5-county Evansville Metropolitan Planning Organization area. This includes the Ohio River Crossing Initiative to provide a safe and accessible active transportation connection to Henderson County See Press Release.

ETC’s collaborations and partnerships with Welborn Baptist Foundation, Indiana Trails Community/Hoosier Rails-to-Trails Conservancy and the Greenways Foundation of Indiana have been crucial to this trail planning effort and has taken many years to materialize. The expense of trail planning is an investment at the local and regional level and is commensurate to the volume of research and trail plan development that takes place to complete the process. Per the Rails to Trails Council, funding trails and greenways as part of a regional trail and active transportation network takes ingenuity and plenty of research. The development and implementation strategy will consider a variety of sources that include state, local, federal, and private donation funding, which is essential to accelerating network completion. A developed strategy will consider all the traditional funding mechanisms available to our region, as well as other creative methods like cross-sector partnerships and grant-making, such as the NLT to fund or finance the full life cycle of each trail. For many reasons, some gaps in the trail network may be easier to fund than others. A comprehensive planning and investment strategy will ensure that all the resources available are being brought to develop and maintain the trail network (via Rails to Trails See more). BFS has been tasked with assessing current gap segments and finding connection corridors to complete the trail system network, while ETC continues to plan and develop new funding mechanisms to build future trails within the network.

See the map and legend at: www.walkbikeevv.org/map

The Trail Project

The Roberts/Wesselman Loop Trail adds 2.6 miles of concrete shared-use path that will connect Roberts Park, Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve, and the State Hospital Park. To the west, the new trail will connect to Evansville’s Walnut Street Trail, which provides access to the University of Evansville, downtown Evansville, the Ohio River, and the city’s existing trail network. The NLT Grant Amount is $2,000,000, the total Project Cost: $3,392,587, Trail Loop is adding 2.62 miles to the Evansville Greenway Trail System Network, connecting downtown Evansville to Wesselman Park.

Led by ETC's Executive Director, Lorie Van Hook, in collaboration and partnership with the DPR, the grant proposal was submitted earlier this summer and has now received approval from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Van Hook conveyed appreciation, stating, "We are thrilled to be the recipients of the NLT Grant, enabling us to make a lasting contribution to our community. This funding empowers us to establish a trail connection that fosters well-being, recreation, and improvements to our built environment. We eagerly anticipate the exciting upcoming phases of turning this vision into reality." As a key component of the Wesselman Park Master Plan, the project has garnered enthusiastic support from Mayor Lloyd Winnecke, who emphasized the significance of connected green space, by stating, "This initiative represents a significant step towards creating a more vibrant, healthy, and connected community, fostering outdoor activities, alternative transportation, and the trails that provide connections to develop a continuous trail system network.” ETC’s hard work and dedication to connecting the Evansville Region was acknowledged by Mayor-Elect, Stephanie Terry, who commented, “Congratulations to the Evansville Trails Coalition for the hard work done to earn this grant. This significant investment connecting neighborhoods from the east side to downtown is a burst of momentum as we all work to move our community forward together.”

As 2024 approaches, ETC will continue to operate through partnership and collaborations that provide a positive, cooperative platform that initiates and continues strategic tactics and actions that produce continuous trails that improve the quality of life and place at the local and regional level.

Assist With Building New Local Trails!

To assist ETC with funding additional trail planning and building efforts, please consider a tax-deductible donation, estate, legacy, or stock gift here: https://www.walkbikeevv.org/donate

ETC Led Grant Submission Awarded by IDNR NLT Grant Program