The Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority joined with our many partners in Porter County as well as Congressman Pete Visclosky to celebrate the dedication of the Dunes Kankakee Trail from the Porter County visitor's center to the beach. The four-mile trail now joins more than 140 miles of other hiking and biking trails throughout Northwest Indiana, virtually all of which have been constructed since 1990.
Visclosky told the crowd it was their tax dollars that helped fuel the development of the trail.
"The money we pay is being invested in the future generations of Northwest Indiana," he said.
The trail development would not be where it is today, Visclosky said, without the help of the RDA. RDA President and CEO Bill Hanna said the RDA has been able to leverage $850 million since its inception and approximately 75 percent has been for projects related to the lakeshore.
The beautification of the lakeshore is important, Hanna said, because it has not only made it attractive but manifested a "quality of place." "It's about feeling good about where you live," he said.
Taking advantage of the new trail, a new family business has opened up at the visitor's center to rent bikes Thursdays through Mondays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Check it all out the next time you feel like a beach day!
