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Muncie students push repaint of Unity Bridge after community survey; railroad permission still required
Summary
Students from the Schaeffer Leadership Academy presented survey results showing community support to repaint the Unity Bridge and said they are working with local arts groups while awaiting CSX permission and structural repairs before painting can proceed.
Students from the Schaeffer Leadership Academy told the Muncie Common Council on May 5 that a community survey shows strong public interest in repainting the Unity Bridge, but work cannot begin until the railroad grants permission and structural repairs are made.
"We are here to try to make a change in our community through bridging gaps in this community, in equality by fostering equality through art," said Ivana, a student in the Muncie Youth Leadership Program, describing the group’s project and survey work. The students said the online survey drew more than 1,100 responses and more than 200 written comments.
The students’ presentation was led by Mitch Isaacs, executive director of the Schaeffer Leadership Academy, who said the next steps are to develop renderings and a proposal in collaboration with Muncie’s arts community and neighborhood groups before seeking permission from CSX, the railroad that owns the bridge. "The students had hoped to be able to paint, but when Councilwoman Selby said federal offense, the students all took a step back and said, maybe we should do something else," Isaacs said, summarizing how the group shifted to the survey and planning work.
Councilwoman Selby and other community members described the legal and safety constraints around working on a railroad bridge. One council speaker cautioned that "nobody is to touch the bridge because it is a federal law, and it could be a federal felony," and said the city is negotiating with CSX for permission. Council members and presenters also noted the bridge requires structural work — including rebar repairs — before any repainting could safely proceed.
Isaacs said the Muncie Arts and Cultural Council helped the students design the survey; he also named local partners including the A12 Coalition, Habitat for Humanity and the Industry neighborhood. He described a planned sequence: use the survey results to produce renderings with the arts community, then bring a formal proposal to the railroad for approval.
There was no formal council vote or directive recorded during the meeting. Presenters asked only that council members note the students’ work and consider community support while partners pursue approvals.
If and when CSX grants permission, presenters said they will first address the bridge’s structural defects and produce final renderings and a fundraising plan that could be used to secure volunteers or outside funding to cover repainting costs.
