In April I purchased a pair of rollerblades. Occasionally I skate around downtown Evansville, looking like a chump with my helmet, wrist guards, and elbow pads, but, hey, no big deal. The traffic isn't so bad, so it's not too bad of a ride, unless rednecks yell stupid shit out the window. No big deal there either, since most of them are pencil-dicked fucknuts.
Even though I'm fairly thick skinned, I would much rather be able to rollerblade on something more inviting, like, say the Greenway Passage. The master plan is great on paper, but they finished the "first phase" of it pretty close to when I moved here 5 years ago (actually looking at the map it says phases 1 and 2 were dedicated in 1998). I think out of the 42 proposed miles of trail, they are only about to finish mile number 4 (ish). The phase they are almost finished with only goes to Franklin street, which doesn't connect yet with "phase 1 and 2", near and through Garvin Park.
Also, fun little note, when they extend the trail closer to connecting the two from Franklin to Maryland street (a distance of 0.4 miles) they will be spending $1.8 million. I'm in the wrong business. I think I could literally purchase a cement truck and do it myself on plan and could then pocket the remaining $1.7 million...anyone wanna go half-sies?
Of course, none of that is to say I'm not excited about actual progress occurring, it's just, damn, it seems I'm never going to be able to roller blade from Angel Mounds to beyond Garvin Park, unless I'm roller blading in my 60s (and still living in Evansville...). 4 miles of trail laid in almost 10 years. It would take 100 years to do all 40+ miles they proposed. And it will cost $180M judging by the 0.4 miles from Franklin to Maryland street...wow.
Addendum: Check out this site about the most progressive thing I would ever imagine Indiana doing. http://www.indianatrails.org/Money quote:
The plan serves as a blueprint for a network which connects existing major trails with each other, and adds dozens of new conceptual trails to the vision, in order to reach the goal of a trail within 15 minutes or 7.5 miles of every Hoosier by 2016.
2016? They've got a lot of work to do in just over 9 years (if they are talking the end of 2016).
