http://www.dailysouthtown.com/southtown/yrtwn/seast/093seyt1.htm
Pennsy line: A trail through history
Thursday, December 9, 2004
By Patrick Ferrell
Special to the Daily Southtown
The Lan-Oak Park District and several northwest Indiana towns are
borrowing a bit of rail history to help promote proposed bike paths in
their towns.
The park district board approved a new name for the bike path that will
wind its way from behind the Landings shopping center to the downtown
area and onto the state line just behind the Lansing Country Club.
The new name, "The Pennsy Greenway," pays tribute to the Penn Central
Railroad, which once owned the former railroad right of way on which
the
path will be built.
The Lansing bike path will connect with the Burnham Greenway in Calumet
City on the north and 15 miles of bike trails in Indiana along the
railroad right of way to the south and east, officials said.
"I feel there's a lot of history in the Pennsy name," said John Wilson,
director of the Lan-Oak Park District. "There's one continuous name for
15 miles of trails to Crown Point. Hopefully, that will bring more
people to the trail in each town."
The name was chosen by the group of towns along the former railroad.
The
group also will discuss adding standard signs to promote the name and
bike path, Wilson said.
The Lan-Oak Park District plans to break ground on its leg of the bike
path next year. Part of the project already is being funded by a
federal
grant.
The collaboration between towns also may help if the group seeks
additional funds to complete future projects.
"Now we can lobby our federal legislators a little more intently,"
Wilson said.
According to several Web sites detailing railroad history, the Pennsy
line had 28,000 miles of track and serviced half of the U.S.
population.
In the late 1930s the trains were equipped with sleeper cars, private
rooms, modern lounges and dining cars. They even sported a barbershop
and valet on-board.
###