We are still learning and trying to ascertain what changes at the state and federal level will fully mean for our work to build more trails, but we do know there isn’t much money allocated for trails in the short term.

Indiana’s Next Level program, which had invested $180 million in trail-building, was not funded in the biennial state budget passed earlier this year. A federal grant that had been awarded to the Mishawaka-Elkhart Trail in 2024 has been frozen. Funding to help build various safe connections in our communities is being reconsidered as local governments work to balance their projected budgets under new state regulations.

What does this mean for the coalition’s work? In short, timelines for projects may shift but our commitment to the vision will not. We are actively working to strengthen relationships with funding partners and approach projects with creativity, while continuing the planning and development of the trail network.