Laserfiche WebLink
Community residents identified trails to encourage walking and bicycling as one of the <br /> city's top priorities during the development of City Plan, South Bend's 20-year <br /> comprehensive plan. <br /> The first phase of the Riverside Trail cost $1.79 million to build a 9,225-foot long and <br /> 10-foot wide path built from more than 1,600 tons of asphalt laid over 3,500 tons of <br /> compacted aggregate. The trail includes more than 1,000 feet of decorative steel railings, <br /> many installed in places where crews reinforced the riverbank to prevent erosion. <br /> The trail features five "nodes"where users can fish or take in the view while sitting on <br /> benches or strolling along side paths. There are six marked pedestrian crossings featuring <br /> decorative light posts and flashing warning lights that will be activated by pedestrians <br /> pushing crosswalk buttons. <br /> LaPorte Construction has served as the general contractor on the project, which was <br /> designed by the Troyer Group in conjunction with city engineering staff. South Bend's <br /> Parks and Recreation Department has worked on landscaping and will be responsible for <br /> ongoing maintenance of the park, which adds more than 5 acres to South Bend's nearly <br /> 1,300 acres of park land citywide. <br /> South Bend's share of the federal gas tax supported 80 percent of the project cost by <br /> means of a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. (Officially the grant is <br /> through the Federal Highway Administration Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality <br /> Program by means of the "Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity <br /> Act: A Legacy for Users" or SAFETEA-LU.) The remaining 20 percent is covered by the <br /> City of South Bend's general fund. <br /> The City of South Bend's commitment to a dedicated walking and bicycle trail along the <br /> St. Joseph River began in the 1970s. Completion of the entire Riverside Trail segment <br /> will bring the total trail system to more than 11 miles in length. <br /> Luecke issued a directive in his 2007 State of the City address to complete a riverwalk <br /> system from Logan Street to Darden Road in the first five years of City Plan <br /> implementation, calling upon staff to start engineering plans in 2007 for the remaining <br /> segments. <br /> - 30 - <br />