Monroe County trail system advancing, step by step

Eventually, plans are to hook the Bloomington, Ellettsville and Monroe County trails together, creating a massive pedestrian and bicycle transit system that could take residents from downtown Bloomington to the county’s Will Detmer Park to downtown Ellettsville and back.

Here’s where the trail system stands now, and where it’s going later:

On the ground

The same thing has been at the top of the Bloomington Parks and Recreation citizen survey since Mick Renneisen became director of the department in 1996: trails.

“Walking and biking for pleasure are the two number one things we hear about,” Renneisen said. “Anybody can walk. Not everyone can run marathons.”

The city has a pretty extensive trail system that dates back to the first part of the century. The Jackson Creek Trail serves the southeastern side of town, while the Clear Creek Trail on the southwestern side connects to both the Rail Trail and the B-Line Trail leading to downtown.

Renneisen said the B-Line is like the hub in the center of a wheel that other trails and side paths radiate from.

Monroe County completed the first major trail, and the backbone of its trail system, after more than a decade of work. The Karst Farm Greenway goes from Karst Farm Park to the Vernal Pike Trail, which has some parts on the ground already. An I-69 overpass will connect to the Karst greenway and eventually link to a proposed overpass to 17th Street, a short distance from the city of Bloomington’s B-Line Trail.

“This is the backbone,” said Jason Eakin, assistant director of planning in Monroe County. “We’ll certainly have our own spokes.”