Experience
I started around the farmers market on Saturday April 15th at 10 AM and walked all the way to the dog park in switchyard park and then back to where I started.
At the start of my walk there were a lot of people as it was in the middle of the farmers market hours. There were people milling around from booth to booth. Most people were walking around this area of the trail. There was a band playing at the market. As I walked on there were less and less people until I arrived at switchyard park. I really enjoyed walking the trail but I would have enjoyed more shade. The longer I walked and the hotter I was getting especially as the day went on. When I got to switchyard park I did enjoy some shade in the dog park. In the beginning of my walk I was very happy and content with getting to spend some time with my brother and dogs. I enjoyed seeing all the art (such as statues and graffiti) along the trail. I also enjoyed getting fresh air and hearing birds chirping. What I enjoyed less was the many roads that bisect the trail as it seems to take away from the nature aspect of the trail. The roads added car noises and sometimes cars would not stop for pedestrians. Overall, I had a great time on the trail and would definitely walk it again.
Places Along the Way
There are many different places along the trail. At the start of the trail, where I started, there was the farmers market. This is where city hall is located and there are many booths of people selling their local products. This created a great environment for the start of the walk. Next I walked by a store that sells organic foods. Next I walked by these statues/ art pieces and I think this is a great touch as it makes it fun for people to take pictures with them and it adds color to the city. Next, I walked by kroger.
This was probably my least favorite part of the trail as it felt less clean as we were walking right next to a parking lot and it was very hot walking next to it. Next, there were little areas next to the trail that seemed to be in partnership with IU health and they had examples of exercises you could do. One example of this was an incline where you could do incline crunches and there was a sign showing you how to do them. This is a great way to make it more accessible to people to do exercises and by having it outside they can even have the benefits of sunlight and fresh air. Finally, we get to switchyard park. This park had pickleball courts, a basketball court, skate rink, a garden, an exercising area, lots of green space, a kids playground, restrooms, and dog parks. All of these amenities are available to the public.
People I Encountered
I did not interact much with the other people on the trail other than a few children and adults who wanted to pet my dogs. I did notice that there were many families on the trail and especially at the park. In the earlier hours there were a lot of people exercising as well.
Some people you may not see are those who may not have the time to go on the trail. The trail was not very accessible on the part where you have to go over the bridges since they were very steep so this also limits people.
Transportation
As I walked there was more of a mix of people walking, running, and biking. Earlier in the walk there were more people running and later in the day more people decided to bike. I even passed someone roller skating which I found so cool. There were also many children walking with their family or biking with their family. I even saw a family biking and the dad was on his skateboard. I enjoyed seeing all the different kinds of transportation on the trail. Though by not having a designated bike path then I had to make sure to not get run over by the bikes sometimes as they are faster than I am walking.
Connectivity
There are a couple of access points along the trail. You can easily start at switchyard park as there is a big parking lot over there. You can also start around city hall as there is a parking lot there. With the multiple roads that cross the path there is parking on those roads so you could start at any of the intersections. Also, many backyards seem to lead directly to the trail so some people can just walk right onto the trail from their backyards. With multiple roads that interact with the trail there are bus stops on those roads so you can easily get on a bus to the nearest stop along the trail and walk from there. Both ends of the trail connect to other trails so you can easily elongate your walk or run that way.
Land Uses
The land uses along the trail changed as you walked along the trail.
Where I started it was more of a city vibe as there was city hall right next to the start and the farmers market was going on. Then it turned into a commercial vibe as there was Kroger and we crossed over two bridges over big roads. Then there were many houses with their backyards right up next to the trail and this made it more of a neighborhood vibe. Then there were big buildings covered in graffiti on one side and switchyard park on the other and this great a cool juxtaposition with nature on one side and more commercial buildings covered in art on the other.
Smart City Strategies
Bike Lanes
One design opportunity would be to make the path a little wider so you can have a designated bike lane. This would help bikers have a separate area for them to bike and not have to slow down and avoid pedestrians. This would also help pedestrians feel more safe and not have to move out of the way of bikers.
Smart Water System
Another design opportunity would be to have more water fountains or places to fill up your water bottle along the path. I noticed that after passing the farmers market and until you arrived at the restroom in switchyard park that there was no place to fill up your water bottle. Maybe even having a smart water system such as having fountains with drinkable water like in some cities in italy. Thai would add even more art along the trail by being able to design beautiful fountains and also making them functional as fountains with potable water.
Bonus Images
Leave a Reply