The Link Trail, an approximately one-and-a-half mile multimodal path connecting the University of Notre Dame to downtown South Bend, opened in November. The trail includes sections of city-owned Notre Dame Avenue, South Bend Avenue, Hill Street and LaSalle Avenue. The project was not paid for by the city alone, however. Project costs, which totaled $11.5 million, were split between the City of South Bend, Visit South Bend Mishawaka (VSBM) and the University of Notre Dame, each contributing equally.
Jeff Jarnecke, executive director of VSBM, said the organization was not only eager to connect tourists to downtown, but also to attract students and faculty at Notre Dame to the shops and restaurants in the city center.
“I think folks were almost taken aback that [downtown] was much closer to the University … than what people thought,” Jarnecke said.
Jarnecke said that in addition to promoting foot traffic to downtown during Notre Dame football games, the project is already encouraging development, mentioning that Corby’s Irish Pub decided to expand because of the trail’s construction.
The new path is fully grade-separated from traffic. There was previously a painted bike lane on Notre Dame Avenue, but the new trail provides a significantly higher degree of safety and comfort.
“From an infrastructure point of view, and from a pedestrian and cyclist experience, these bike lanes are not ideal, and having a grade separated trail is really the gold standard for bike infrastructure,” said Tim Corcoran, the director of planning and community resources for South Bend.
The trail adds to a growing bike network in the city, which consists of over 85 miles of routes. The city is also in the process of developing a new bicycle infrastructure master plan.
According to Corcoran, the vision for a connection between campus and the heart of the city was laid out in the Northeast Neighborhood Plan, adopted in October 2022.
However, it was Visit South Bend Mishawaka that approached the University and the city to accelerate the project.
Corcoran estimated the trail project would not have moved forward as quickly without the momentum added by the two additional partners.
“I think we’re all just grateful that there was a really, really strong alignment between all the parties involved to be able to move this project forward faster to create what I think is one of the best bike infrastructure projects in the country and a really strong and great asset for South Bend and Notre Dame communities,” Corcoran said.
Tim Sexton, associate vice president for public affairs at Notre Dame, said the University jumped on board when it was presented with the opportunity.
“Once conversations about the trail began, there was much enthusiasm conveyed by the city of South Bend, the University of Notre Dame and VSBM to make this happen. With references made in the 2033 Strategic Framework of engaging with the region, the trial became a way to physically demonstrate our commitment to that end,” Sexton wrote in a statement.
The strategic framework emphasized the importance of Notre Dame’s relationship with the South Bend community, stating, “It is now clearer than ever before that for Notre Dame to thrive, the South Bend region must also prosper. And a more prosperous South Bend strengthens Notre Dame.”
The Link trail was the largest-ever investment by Notre Dame in a transportation infrastructure project in South Bend. It was likewise an unprecedented investment for Visit South Bend Mishawaka, which contributed funds generated from the local innkeepers’ tax.
“It was certainly our largest foray to-date in terms of [infrastructure] projects,” Jarnecke said.
Providing funding for the project also gave VSBM and Notre Dame a seat at the table with regard to planning for the project.
“All of us had the ability to look at the designs, the layout, the vegetation, signage, things of that nature. It was truly a shared project,” Sexton said.
There were a number of logistical hurdles for the project. The city met with individual homeowners to address concerns about how the trail would impact sprinkler systems and driveways. Corcoran said there were also unexpected delays as a result of the age of the streets.
“In an area that’s been a street for a hundred years, if you find things underground that you didn’t know were there, whether it's parts of old brick streets or even rails from where a tram line used to be, these things all can have some impact in terms of delaying a project,” Corcoran said.
The trail was slated to open by the start of the football season, but did not open in its entirety until early November. Some minor work, including wayfinding installation and vegetation planting is yet to be completed. All three groups expressed pride in the project, despite the postponement of the opening. An official ribbon-cutting will be held this spring.
“One thing we have heard time and time again is how appreciative the community is for this trail, and they’re grateful to all three partners for rolling up their sleeves and taking this on. This was not an easy project, but it’s one that’s going to provide great dividends to all of us.” Sexton said.
