The Kosciusko County Parks Board spent the bulk of its special meeting discussing gaps in the Propel 30 plan for U.S. 30 and identifying locations where safe, nonmotorized crossings should be added.

A board member presented five initial candidate crossing locations and urged the group to submit formal input to Propel 30 while the project is still taking public comment. "If we're talking about developing a full network of trails throughout the county ... being able to cross US 30 in multiple places is critical," the board member said.

The five locations raised for possible nonmotorized crossings were: (1) State Road 19 into Aetna Green to address buggy and pedestrian crossings; (2) along the Tippie River/Fox Farm/150 area as an extension from the Chinworth Trail work; (3) Spring Hill Road near the hospital and YMCA, an area long identified for a pedestrian and cycling crossing; (4) 250 East, a well-used cycling corridor; and (5) an area near Pearson around State Road 13 to connect Winona Lake to Pearson and north toward North Webster. The board emphasized these are initial suggestions and that final crossing type (overpass, underpass, signalized intersection, roundabout) would depend on Propel 30's multimodal design.

Board members warned that some Propel 30 segment recommendations contain no crossings for stretches of 5 to 8 miles, creating long detours for nonmotorized travelers. "Not having any type of safe crossing in this ... location or in this width of space is unacceptable," the same board member said. The board discussed typical crossing solutions including overpasses, underpasses and signalized intersections and noted some recommended designs (for example, large roundabouts) may not function safely for cyclists, pedestrians or horse-and-buggy users.

TSW, the consultant firm that has led the parks master plan work, was referenced during the discussion. The board announced that Katie Clark, TSW's lead on the trail master plan project, is leaving that firm; the board said Clark may continue as project lead depending on arrangements between firms. "She has been the lead on the trail master plan project ... there is a possibility she is gonna stay on as the project lead between her new firm and the old firm," a parks board representative said.

Board members discussed submitting feedback individually online and also preparing a signed letter from the parks board. Staff agreed to determine whether Propel 30 is accepting paper submissions in addition to online comments; the board said a formal, signed submission from the parks board would likely carry weight.

Board members also discussed specific local connections that would be served by crossings, such as Anchorage Road, Spring Hill Road, the Tippie River corridor and retail nodes near Meijer and Walmart. The board did not make a formal vote to adopt a final list of crossings at this meeting but agreed to work on a recommendation and to verify submission procedures with Propel 30 staff.

The park board's next regular meeting was noted on the record; board members also discussed community events and outreach that could support public awareness of pedestrian and cycling needs along U.S. 30.