Connecting the Ohio River Greenway to the South Monon Freedom Trail and Beyond If completed, this would be the longest, continuous recreation trail in Indiana, creating immense recreation opportunities for the region. This created a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to develop a new regional, 68-mile-long trail stretching through 5 Indiana counties (Clark, Floyd, Lawrence, Orange, and Washington), and connecting nine Indiana towns and cities (Bedford, Mitchell, Saltillo, Campbellsburg, Salem, New Pekin, Borden, Orleans, and New Albany). In 2017, CSX abandoned its rail line from the northern edge of New Albany to the East Fork of the White River, south of Bedford. The railway served as a verified escape route serving as a pathway to freedom for many enslaved African Americans traveling both in train cars and following the tracks by foot. The City of New Albany is excited and humbled to have an opportunity to not only bring a new amenity to the region, but to reimagine the former New Albany – Salem railroad while paying homage to its significance as part of the Underground Railroad. The first part of the City of New Albany’s grant application asks for $5.5 million for the purchase of the CSX railway from New Albany to Bedford, the first step in creating the South Monon Freedom Trail. Purchase of the South Monon Freedom Trail
The City of New Albany has submitted a multi-faceted, $20.5 million regional trails and parks initiative in its application for READI funds, consisting of three major components: 1. The City of New Albany has designated the Monon South Freedom Trail as the most impactful regional project to drive growth and improve quality of life. The $500 million Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative, or “READI”, will allow cities, towns, and counties to partner on projects and fuel investment in quality of place efforts. The state of Indiana recently launched an effort designed to accelerate the state's economic growth.
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