Pathways Over Pogue’s
Pathways Over Pogue’s (POP) is a grassroots group of Near East Side neighbors that formed in the summer of 2017 to advocate for the completion of the Pogue’s Run Trail. The trail was part of the original Indianapolis Greenways Master Plan of 1994, but still remains unfinished to this day. POP has been working with the Indianapolis Parks Foundation, Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF), City of Indianapolis, Reconnecting to Our Waterways, and private partners to seek ways to get the trail finished.
One of the challenges has been that the trail includes a historic bridge just west of Rural known as the Nowland Avenue Bridge that has deteriorated to such an extent that it is becoming dangerous to use. Before the rest of the trail can be completed, the bridge must be rebuilt.
This bridge is on the Historic Register, so it will extra time and funds to rebuild it. In order to help get this project going neighbors are seeking alternate funding for the design as a way to get the trail going.
In response, POP has created a website and begun a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for the bridge design. It is also applying for support from foundations and corporations, achieving early success with Central Indiana Community Foundation, which will match dollar for dollar up to $30,000 of what POP raises until the end of the campaign on May 30, 2018. Sixty thousand dollars could go a long way towards getting the design going. But it requires community support to get there. You can find out more and donate by visiting Pathways Over Pogue’s website.