FORT WAYNE TRAILS INC

FOR THE 2024-2025 PROGRAMMING YEAR, FWT HAD THE FOLLOWING ACCOMPLISHMENTS: VANN FAMILY CROSSING: FWT PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN WORKING WITH THE CITY OF FORT WAYNE TO RECEIVE A 5M GIFT FROM THE VANN FAMILY FOUNDATION FOR A MUCH NEEDED CONNECTION OVER COLISEUM BLVD. LINKING THE NORTH AND SOUTH TRAIL SYSTEMS TO CREATE 130 MILES OF CONNECTED TRAIL. THE CROSSING WILL BE BUILT IN 2026. CEDAR CREEK PARKS TRAIL: FWT CONTINUED TO HELP COORDINATE AND ADVOCATE FOR FUNDING TO COMPLETE THIS TRAIL FROM METEA NORTH COUNTY PARK TO GRABILL, IN DOWNTOWN. FWT HELPED MANAGE THE PROJECT DURING CONSTRUCTION IN 2025. PUFFERBELLY-GOLDEN SPIKE: FWT CONTRIBUTED 300,000 TO THE BUILDING OF THE GOLDEN SPIKE SECTION OF THE PUFFERBELLY TRAIL. IT WAS USED AS LEVERAGE FOR MATCHING FUNDS FOR A NEXT LEVEL TRAILS GRANT RECEIVED FROM THE STATE OF INDIANA FOR 2.7M. LOCAL ADVOCACY: FORT WAYNE TRAILS PLAYED A CRITICAL ROLE IN HELPING ACQUIRE THE RIGHT OF WAY FOR THE UNION CHAPEL TRAIL TRAIL FROM THE PUFFERBELLY TO AUBURN RD. WITH OUR EFFORTS, THE PROJECT WILL BE ABLE TO GO TO CONSTRUCTION IN 2026. REGIONAL TRAIL ADVOCACY: FORT WAYNE TRAILS PLAYS AN ACTIVE ROLE ON THE POKA-BACHE COALITION WORKING TO BUILD THE 83-MILE TRAIL FROM POKAGON STATE PARK TO OUBACHE STATE PARK. THIS INCLUDED ASSISTING WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF A US DEPT. OF TRANSPORTATION GRANT APPLICATION FOR PLANNING DOLLARS FOR THE REMAINING 30 MILES OF TRAIL. WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT: FORT WAYNE TRAILS IS THE VOICE OF THE TRAILS AND A MAJOR RESOURCE FOR PROJECT-BASED INFORMATION AND CONNECTIVITY INFORMATION. THE PROJECT PAGE OF OUR WEBSITE WAS VISITED 3,088 TIMES IN THE FISCAL YEAR; THE MAPS PAGE WAS VISITED 14,737 TIMES. WE HAVE 15K+ FOLLOWERS ON FACEBOOK AND 7K+ FOLLOWERS ON INSTAGRAM. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: FORT WAYNE TRAILS OFFERED PROGRAMMING TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY IN USING THE TRAIL SYSTEM. OVER 50,000 MAPS WERE DISTRIBUTED TO TRAIL USERS FOR SYSTEM NAVIGATION AND FOR TRAIL-FRIENDLY BUSINESS INTERACTION. THROUGH OUR EVENTS AND PROGRAMS, 1,606 INTERACTIONS WERE CAPTURED. PROGRAMS TO FAMILIARIZE PEOPLE WITH THE SYSTEM AND TRAIL SAFETY INCLUDED THE TREK THE TRAILS AND TREAD THE TRAILS PROGRAMS AS WELL AS RUNNERS IN THE ANNUAL PUFFERBELLY RACE. ADOPT-A-GREENWAY: FORT WAYNE TRAILS ASSUMED THIS PROGRAM FROM THE CITY OF FORT WAYNE TO EXPAND IT TO BE COUNTY WIDE. 55 GROUPS OF VOLUNTEERS ADOPTED 53, 1-3 MILE STRETCHES OF THE TRAIL SYSTEM TO PICK UP LITTER AND TRASH TWO TIMES A YEAR. FOR THE 2024 CALENDAR YEAR, 247 VOLUNTEERS WERE ENGAGED IN THIS PROGRAM.