The subject was the Nickel Plate Rail Line, the place was Hamilton Heights High School, and it happened Thursday night.  A panel discussed the future of the Nickel Plate line and the options before the government entities owning the line.  The event was sponsored by the Hamilton County Leadership Academy Class of 2017 “Rail or Trail” team.

The Nickel Plate Line extends from Tipton to downtown Indianapolis, and is owned jointly by Fishers, Noblesville and Hamilton County.  Fishers and Noblesville have announced a proposal to transform the line into a trail within their city limits.

Many of the panel members appeared to favor using the Nickel Plate as both a rail and trail line.  However, the cost of purchasing the land needed to accommodate both would be much higher than only converting the line to a trail.

Mike Obergfell, President of the Hoosier Heritage Port Authority, also told the crowd that the owners of the line signed-on to issuing requests for proposals for possible operators of the rail line, so all options can be considered before any final decisions are made.

When the subject of public safety along a trail was raised, Carmel City Councilman Ron Carter said the Monon Trail is very safe. With over a million people using it over a year, Carter said, there are very few law enforcement incidents on the Monon.

Panel members were:

–Brenda Myers, President and CEO of Hamilton County Tourism

–Dan Canan, Executive Vice President of OneZone (combined Fishers & Carmel Chamber of Commerce)

–Karen Bohn, President, Greenways Foundation

–Mike Obergfell, President of the Hoosier Heritage Port Authority Board

–Ron Carter, Member of the Carmel City Council

The moderator was Jonathon Hagerty, a member of the “Rails or Trails” team.

Other members of the Hamilton County Leadership team included:

–Adam Peat, Internal Account Manager, Stratosphere Quality

–Bonnie Riley, Assistant Vice President and Banking Center Manager, National Bank of Indianapolis

–Greg Schrage, Associate Attorney, Church Church Hittle & Antrim

–Judah Holland, Senior Director & Chief of Staff to the President, Navient

–Steve Cooke, Deputy Mayor, City of Noblesville

–Wade Wiley, Licensing Lead, Beck’s Hybrids