(Photo provided)
(Photo provided)
Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission (NIRPC), along with Indiana Dunes Tourism and the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority, hosted an unveiling of the newest “Along the South Shore Line” poster. It represents the Marquette Greenway and was created by local artist Kristina Knowski of Porter. The new poster features a section of the 60-mile trail at a location where the Greenway will cross over the Indiana Toll Road via a steel railroad bridge that once carried South Shore Line trains to downtown East Chicago. In the background is the Seidner Dune and Swale Nature Preserve where the Grand Calumet River flows. The Greenway extends through the preserve where walkers and bicyclists are shown with egrets resting in the river.
Friends of the Marquette Greenway sponsored the poster, which will aid their efforts to complete the trail, and provide funds for the perpetual maintenance and operations of the facility. NIRPC says it has established a donor advised fund with the Legacy Foundation to collect donations to the Friends, and which can be accessed at legacyfdn.org/blog/2023/11/01/marquette-trail/. The unveiling event was held Wednesday April 29 2026 at the Indiana Dunes Visitors Center in Porter.
Mitch Barloga of NIRPC stated, “The Friends of the Marquette Greenway was established for just this purpose, to create lasting impressions of the trail and help promote it regionally.” Copies of the poster will be available for purchase at both the Indiana Dunes Visitors Center in Porter and the Indiana Welcome Center in Hammond next week. This includes online sales of the poster at www.southshoreposters.com .
NIRPC is the Metropolitan Planning Organization and regional council of local governments for Lake, Porter, and LaPorte Counties. NIRPC provides the forum for local elected officials, regional, leadership, and citizens to address regional issues relating to transportation, the environment and community and economic development. NIRPC seeks to develop consensus solutions with the broadest participation.
