The Monon Trail is a staple of the Broad Ripple community. Runners, walkers, bikers, rollerbladers and the like traverse this historical trail daily. Since its induction in 1996, the Monon Trail has grown to over ten miles and is used by hundreds of people every day. The popularity of the Trail continues to grow, but so have the reports of crime on the Trail.

The most recent reported crimes - a biker was robbed and beaten, another was approached at gunpoint, and, the latest, two men were mugged while walking home - have no doubt caught the attention of residents along the Trail and those who use it.

While the Trail is regularly used after dark, it's important to note that this practice is technically illegal. As part of the Indy Greenways and Indy Parks, the Monon Trail is only open and operable from daybreak through sunset. Many residents use the trail at night as a safe-commute option to local pubs and eateries. Who else uses the Trail at night? This question raises many safety issues associated with using parts of the Monon Trail after the posted hours.

At recent Indy Greenways meetings, it has been proposed to provide lighting on all or part of the Monon Trail to help ease safety concerns. Terri Vanzant, Project Manager for Indy Parks Greenway Foundation, said that the Indiana Bicycle Coalition (IBC) wrote a letter suggesting that the hours of the Monon Trail be extended.

Though it's illegal and can be unsafe to travel the Trail after dusk, it seems that traffic on the Monon during the night is not likely to decrease.

"It's a double-edged sword," says Greg Silver, Chairman of the Indy Greenways Committee. The City's concern for liability and the public's demand for more use of the trail may cause conflict. Opinions are many and strong, and conflict even among trail users, as can be seen on several local news blogs and comment threads, including www.indystar.com and www.wthr.com.

Keith Cheney, Public Policy Administrator for Indy Parks, and Gregory Silver both agree that a demand from the users of the Trail is very important. Silver would like to hear the community's opinions and suggestions - especially in the Broad Ripple area.

"My opinion comes from the public. A statute or law may need to be changed, but nothing can happen until we hear from the community," urges Silver.

And while Keith Cheney believes that "at this point, we cannot contemplate a situation in the near future where there would be the kind of use where people would be safe on the trails" outside the current after dusk rules, he does seem optimistic.

"In the future perhaps we'll have more money at a later date for lighting, for patrol, for call boxes," he said at the December 21 meeting of the Greenways Committee.

To begin to open the lines of communication between all sides regarding this issue, you can contact your Neighborhood Association. Several neighborhoods border the Monon Trail; each has a Neighborhood Association that is dedicated to its residents. You can also contact the Indy Greenways Committee.

For now, the current rules of the Monon Trail are being enforced. According to a WTHR Television report by Mary Milz "People who ignore the posted hours can be fined up to $25 per violation." In November, the report says, Indy Parks rangers issued 38 tickets to people for using the Monon after hours.