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| Constitution Trail not an average walk in the park | |
| Jul 7, 2004 | |
| Kevin Borgia | |
| Daily Vidette | |
| Pertains to Constitution Trail, Bloomington, Normal | |
| Bounding out from the underbrush at the side of the trail, the badger stopped short at a small piece of potential food lying in the middle of the concrete river that interrupted his meadow home. His nose twitched at the object briefly before the sight of the humans slowly walking his way startled him. He paused for a fraction of a second, slightly scared yet ready to attack, and then scampered away into the brush, the only sign of his existence a rustling deep in the grass of the prairie. The occasional encounter with a badger or other wildlife can be common along Constitution Trail as it winds its way from ISU and the heart of Normal out into the fields surrounding the town. Yet, forays into more wild areas are not the only benefits of the trail. A linear park extending more than 20 miles across Bloomington and Normal, the trail cuts through fields, neighborhoods and urban areas alike, carrying walkers and bikers throughout the twin cities to secret places they never knew existed just beyond their back doors. Formed at the intersection of the former Illinois Central Gulf, ConRail and other former railroad lines, Constitution Trail lies where many of America's great rail lines once existed, allowing for a unique park surrounded by a community. "We were a railroad community at one time," Jerry Armstrong, assistant director of Bloomington Parks and Recreation said. "Most of the major lines came through Bloomington-Normal, and the railroad was here before most of the town, that's why the town is divided by the trail." The presence of a linear park undisturbed by the forces of neighborhood development and urban sprawl make the trail unique, and is one reason Bloomington and Normal united in the 1980s to build the park. According to Armstrong, Constitution Trail was the brainchild of Bloomington Alderman Hugh Atwood, who convinced the Town Council the trail would be an asset to the twin cities. "[Atwood] believed people come to Bloomington-Normal because of the quality of life here, and he thought the trail would be another thing that would attract people to the community," Armstrong said. Although some residents and elected officials were initially opposed to the idea, Armstrong said after the first 4.3 miles of the trail were constructed, "it was such a big hit they instantly knew it was worth the effort." Armstrong explained the first section extends from Emerson Street in Bloomington to the Normal Town Hall, with a spur continuing from south of Vernon Avenue, under Veterans Parkway out to Airport Road. "We've just been adding sections ever since," he said. The aesthetics on the first parts of the trail make it easy to understand why the park was such a success with residents and students alike. The first leg journeys through the antiquated neighborhoods of historic Bloomington into the first suburban developments of the then-frontier town of Normal, channeled atop man-made ridges and into valleys rich with mosses that make people forget they are still within the Town of Normal. The eastern leg takes riders and walkers through more recent housing developments, but these areas contain some of the best landscaping of the trail, as many homes with manicured gardens back up to the trail, allowing the public to view the beautiful yet private areas of their yards. This leg also crosses Vernon Avenue and winds past a colorful Russian flower garden and a serene Japanese Garden, representing Bloomington's sister cities of Vladimir, Russia and Asahikawa, Japan. After cutting under Veterans Parkway, the trail ventures out into the modern suburban-style developments of east Bloomington, past the mini-mansions of Hawthorne Hills and out to its end near a grain elevator on Towanda-Barnes Road. The northernmost tip of trail also finds its end at a grain elevator more than a mile north of I-55, and shoots south through downtown Normal before joining the rest of the trail at Town Hall. While Armstrong said these parts of the trail are the most traveled because most residents live in these areas, there are other less-utilized sections offering equal ambience - such as the western section. Armstrong explained this newest section, a five-mile stretch from Lincoln Street in south Bloomington to Route 9 west near Mitsubishi Motorway, holds some of the trail's best scenery. This often-vacant section is the favorite destination for a few trail-walkers, including Gladys Eliot of Bloomington, who said she walks the western leg three times each week. "I just love it out here, it's so serene and calm, and the fields remind me of when I was young," Eliot said, discussing her youth in rural Hancock County, Ill. Eliot's sentiments were echoed by companion Kathy Zackowitz of Bloomington, who said the scattered wildlife and quiet tranquility bring her to the western leg. "You see chipmunks and rabbits and badgers here, and you go through these groves of trees and there's no one around...it's like it's a secret place," Zackowitz said. Closer to the city, the western leg crosses under I-55 and past Upper Limits climbing gym and into working-class neighborhoods in southwestern Bloomington. A presence in a wide variety of locations is one thing that makes the trail an asset to the local community, as every economic level has access to the park - from the small homes of South Hill to the million-dollar residences in Hawthorne Hills. Armstrong said this is one goal the Parks and Recreation Department has for the trail, "We're trying to reach out to all the various neighborhoods and provide them with a link to the trail they can get on without going very far," he said. "It brings people together," Armstrong said, "you meet a lot of different people when walking on the trail. It's really amazing." |
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