Jennings County has made significant investments into its bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure over the past decade, and future investments remain a local priority. To continue making progress, it was determined that a bicycle and pedestrian and master plan be developed and adopted by all three units of local government: Jennings County, the City of North Vernon, and the Town of Vernon. After acquiring funding through the Indiana Department of Health, HWC was hired to guide Jennings County and its partners through a bicycle and pedestrian planning process to develop cohesive bicycle and pedestrian network throughout the county and its local communities.

HWC worked with project partners to develop an understanding of the true prevalence of walking and bicycling in the County and, with public engagement and input from the plan’s advisory committee, developed countywide guidance for implementing programs, policies, and infrastructure to support walking and bicycling. These recommendations helped to connect areas of interest, including Jennings County communities and the numerous parks, preserves, and wildlife areas found within the County.