1. Wabash River Scenic Byway
Corridor Management Plan
Public Information Meeting
April 23, 2013

2. INTRODUCTIONS
Wabash River Enhancement Corp.
Stan Lambert
Consultant Team
Meg Storrow, SKA
John Kinsella, SKA
Kate Zale, URS
Tom Sturmer, Transportation Solutions LLC

3. AGENDA
5:00-5:30 Short Presentation
5:30–6:00 Questions
6:00-6:30 Review Graphics
Provide Your Comments

4. Where we are in the process
• Meeting One: Information gathering
• Meeting Two: Establish direction
• Meeting Three: Review draft recommendations
•July/August: final recommendations

5. West
Lafayette
Lafayette
SCENIC BYWAY LOCATION
Tippecanoe
County

6. Presented at Public Meeting 1
The Byway Management Plan is a component of the overall
Wabash River Corridor Enhancement initiative.
WREC (Wabash River Enhancement Corporation) was formed
as a collaborative effort between Lafayette, West Lafayette,
Tippecanoe County, and Purdue. It is the point agency for
planning and implementing enhancement of the Wabash River
corridor. Current projects include:
• Water quality improvement through watershed management
• Developing urban and rural master plans for corridor vision
• Finding funding for project implementation
• Environmental cleanup
• Byway Management Plan (this project)

7. Clarification of public right-of-way
issues
Segments of River Road do not have platted right-of-way. A
survey is in progress to establish a road centerline on North
River Road. Goals from the Corridor Enhancement Plan are to:
• Retain the scenic quality of the Byway
• Stabilize the Wabash River bank
• Protect the floodplain
• Develop a bike and pedestrian way along River Road
• Achieve improved property values
• A world-class riverfront (particularly urban section)
As funds become available, WREC may buy property from
willing sellers to accomplish the above goals. After replatting the
property, WREC will put property on the west side of the road
back on the market.

8. What we heard from the first public meeting
• Retain natural and scenic beauty and tree canopy
• River Road is valued by the community
• Protect property rights – property will be acquired ONLY from willing sellers
• Support continuous separated trail from Ross Camp to I-65
• Improve access to river for boating and fishing
• Support telling the unique story and heritage of the Wabash River and
Tippecanoe County
• Protect the quality of the Scenic Byway now!
• Keep it special! Make it a parkway! Use sensitive design standards to guide
capital improvements throughout the corridor.

9. What we have learned in the
planning process
• Relinquishment - the state will relinquish the highway portion of the Scenic
Byway to local communities by end of 2013, allowing local control and flexible
design standards.
• Momentum - the Scenic Byway has been a community goal for over 20 years
– now seeing results in stewardship, protection, and infrastructure renewal.
• Timing - Many initiatives are in the planning and implementation stage - this
Corridor Management Plan will guide them.

10. Relinquishment
Opportunity to manage travel speeds to be compatible with pedestrians,
bicycles and local traffic.
Ability to consider medians and other traffic calming means to introduce
landscaping, in flexible and variable ways.
Flexibility to use a common streetscape approach to, over time, to create a
“unique and sensitive character” for the Byway,
Local control can manage the inevitable change to River Road so it
becomes its own place rather than an anywhere road.

11. Momentum
Cooperation and partnerships are strong between Lafayette, West
Lafayette, the County and Purdue
SR 231 relocation to move trucks away from River Road
Replace SR 52 bridge and include bike/ped facilities in new design
Purdue “ring road” planning – will be guided by Byway vision
Public wayfinding program will include Scenic Byway
Segments of the Byway trail are in place – need to find the best way to
connect them

12. Timing
Relinquishment
Community recognizies the competitive global market for jobs, workers, and
quality of life
Growth of local heritage tourism
Local government cooperation in place

13. West
Lafayette
Lafayette
SCENIC BYWAY LOCATION
Tippecanoe
County

14. SCENIC BYWAY INTRINSIC QUALITIES AND CHARACTER ZONES

15. SCENIC BYWAY TRANSPORTATION CONCEPTS

16. SCENIC BYWAY ECONOMY

17. SCENIC BYWAY SOUTH RIVER ROAD CHARACTER ZONE

18. SCENIC BYWAY WABASH RIVER FRONT CHARACTER ZONE

19. SCENIC BYWAY NORTH RIVER ROAD CHARACTER ZONE

20. SCENIC BYWAY FAR NORTH RIVER ROAD CHARACTER ZONE

21. Wabash River Enhancement
Corporation
INTRINSIC QUALITY DATABASE
Help us identify intrinsic qualities on the Byway:
• Scenic
• Natural
• Historic
• Cultural
• Archaeological
• Recreational
• Tourism Resources

22. WEBSITE
www.wabashriverscenicbyway.org

23. economic development and quality of
life purpose & benefits
Attraction and retention of a quality work force
Destination Tourism
Reinforcement of Purdue University as world class institution in a livable
region
Establishment of Tippecanoe County, Lafayette, and West Lafayette as world
class region centered on its rich heritage and recreation resource
River Road State Scenic Byway Local Corridor Management Plan
Public Information Meeting, February 7, 2013

24. ACHIEVEMENTS
1. USACE Hydraulic Study
2. River Road State Scenic
Byway
3. Long Term USACE
Partnership Development
4. Long Range Planning and
Land Acquisition
5. Watershed Management
Plan
6. US Army Corps of
Engineers Reconnaissance
Study
7. Corridor Master Plan:
Phases 1 & 2
8. River Road Scenic Byway
Designation
9. Corridor Management Plan
grant

25. River Road State Scenic Byway Local Corridor Management Plan
Public Information Meeting, February 7, 2013
now it is your turn – please give us
your thoughts and comments to help
us prepare for our next steps

26. THANKS!
Next meeting is in July/August

27. Public Meeting 1 Review
The River Road State Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan is a local
blueprint and strategy for managing, promoting, preserving and enhancing the
Scenic Byway’s image and function as a distinctive place and experience
within the Wabash River Corridor In Tippecanoe County.
The management plan will identify the Scenic Byway’s potential to enhance the
region’s quality of life, the Byway’s intrinsic qualities: scenic, natural, historic,
cultural, archaeological, and recreational, and the Byway’s accommodation of
appropriate tourism resources.