B-Line Trail Named 'Outstanding Transportation Project' at State MPO Conference

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 4, 2010

For more information contact
Dave Williams, Operations and Development Division Director, City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department, (812) 349-3700 or [williamd@bloomington.in.gov|mailto:williamd@bloomington.in.gov]

Bloomington, IN - The city's [B-Line Trail|B-Line Trail] gathered kudos from state officials this month as it was named the year's Outstanding Transportation Project in the State of Indiana by the Indiana Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) during their annual conference in Jeffersonville, Ind. September 16.

"This is another rewarding recognition of the City's biggest economic development project in years," said Mayor Mark Kruzan. "The B-Line Trail is a defining aspect of our community-it defines our commitment to recreation, alternative transportation and continued investment in ourselves."

The B-Line Trail was nominated for the award by the Bloomington/Monroe County MPO. According to the nomination form, the purpose of the award is to recognize specific, special transportation projects in Indiana from a design standpoint. Judging criteria for the award included design innovations and the incorporation of social, economic, cultural and historic impacts of the project.

Joshua Desmond, Assistant Planning Director of the Bloomington/Monroe County MPO, said, "The project got many compliments during the awards presentation as well as from conference participants who had been to Bloomington to experience the trail."

"We're very pleased that the B-Line has won yet another award," said Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department Director Mick Renneisen. "It has been very rewarding to see the tremendous amount of use that the B-Line Trail is already experiencing. We look forward to completing Phase II next year to further enhance the transportation opportunities for our community."

Phase I of the B-Line Trail, which includes .61 miles of trail through downtown, three plaza areas and a pedestrian bridge over Third Street, was completed and opened in June 2009. The second and final phase of the B-Line Trail (2.4 miles-Rogers Street to Adams Street and Second Street to Country Club Drive) began in the spring of 2010 with an anticipated summer 2011 cmopletion date. Phase II includes the construction of a second pedestrian bridge over Grimes Lane.

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