Mounds Greenway Hits Potential Hurdle In Anderson

The Mounds Greenway is generating support from some — but, importantly, not all — local public officials in east central Indiana.

The mayors of Westfield, Carmel and Noblesville joined the mayor of Muncie in voicing public support for the Mounds Greenway, a proposed 17-mile trail that would run along the White River between Muncie and Anderson. The Hoosier Environmental Council wants to see the trail eventually extend west past Anderson into Hamilton and Marion counties.

But first the greenway would have to make it to Anderson, where The Herald Bulletin reports Mayor Thomas Broderick wants more information about the project’s funding before he offers his support.

The Hoosier Environmental Council’s Tim Maloney says it would be “very unfortunate” if Mayor Broderick didn’t end up supporting the plan, because one long trail is better than many short trails.

“If you have short trails and you link them up and you make a longer trail, they’re more attractive for trail users, either for recreation purposes or if you use a trail for commuting,” says Maloney.

“But you know there’s still a lot we can do with the Mounds Greenway in the mean time,” Maloney says, “in, you know, reaching out to the Cardinal Greenway in Muncie.”

Funding for the project is still an open question. First, Maloney says, the Hoosier Environmental Council needs to gauge interest from landowners along the proposed route.