The first thing I did when I got to Bloomington was to ride the B-Line. Lucky me, I have generous friends who let me borrow a bicycle.
The B-Line is the local greenway, a recently constructed urban rail-trail, 3.1 miles in length, running alongside an active rail line for its final stretch. Does this sound familiar to New Orleanians? It should.
Of course I took some photos.
I was frankly astonished at how nice the B-Line was. Lights, public art, landscaping, interpretive signage, bridges, the works. I saw lots of people enjoying it too.
My most astonishing moment on the B-Line came when I saw a groundskeeper zoom up in a little motorized vehicle, hop off, pick up two microscopic pieces of trash with a damn forceps, and then ride off.
Did I make a wrong turn and end up in Disneyland?
I found this salient quote on the website of the City of Bloomington:
“This is the most significant economic development project on the City’s agenda. It’s monumental in its scope and importance.”
– Mayor Mark Kruzan
Anyhow, I hope the citizens of Bloomington appreciate the B-Line. I know I did.
Sounds wonderful, go Bloomington. This is similar to the Tammany Trace (http://www.angelfire.com/la3/judyb/trace.html) on the northshore. Very clean and safe. It traverses 31 miles one way and is really a joy to ride. Come visit sometime.