The town of Burns Harbor, because of the way it has developed since its establishment in 1967, is not an easy community for a pedestrian to navigate.

“The town does lack pedestrian infrastructure that connects the neighborhoods,” said Tina Rongers, the town’s economic development consultant.

It is an issue that the town’s leadership is trying to address.

In June, the town’s Redevelopment Commission authorized Rongers to apply for a Safe Streets grant from the Federal Highway Administration.

If it’s successful, the grant would accomplish two major objectives. It would pay 80% of the design, engineering and construction cost of a 0.55-mile trail along Babcock Road, from the Prairie Duneland Trail access point, north to the CSX tracks just south of Old Porter Road.

The total cost of the Babcock Road trail would be around $2 million, so the grant would pay $1.675 million, Rongers said.

The second part of the grant would be a study that would determine the best potential route that would safely connect the Prairie Duneland Trail and the developing Marquette Greenway Trail. The grant would also be an 80-20 split for a study estimated to cost $150,000.

Rongers said there is a 1.7-mile gap between the two major trails. The potential roads to be studied for connecting routes would be Babcock and Old Porter Roads, along with Indiana 149.

The Babcock Road trail would be a particular benefit for residents of the Corlins Landing and Trail Creek subdivisions, Rongers said.

Residents from the neighboring communities of Chesterton and Porter along Babcock Road would also have better access with the trail link.

Burns Harbor was founded in 1967, coinciding with the development of what is now the Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. steel mill and the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal.

Another characteristic of Burns Harbor is how it is divided up by major highways, which include U.S. 12, U.S. 20 and Ind.149, along with Interstate 94.

The town’s growth was stifled until the installation of municipal water and sewer systems in 2000.

As of the 2020 Census, the town’s population grew to 2,055 residents within 858 households.

While the town may lack sidewalks that provide pedestrian accessibility in places, Burns Harbor has been diligently working on building its links to the Marquette Greenway Trail.

When the Marquette Greenway Trail is completed, it will traverse 56 miles from the Calumet Park Park in Chicago east across northern Indiana to New Buffalo, Michigan.

During the past four years, the town has completed about 2.6 miles of the trail from the Portage city limits, across Ind. 149 to the Little Calumet River overlook.

The town has received a $5 million grant from the state for the last 1-mile section of the trail that will connect at the Porter town line. Porter is also working on developing its neighboring section that will traverse 0.8 miles across the Mnoke Prairie to connect with the Porter Brickyard Trail junction of the Marquette Greenway at North Mineral Springs Road.

Jim Woods is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/05/burns-harbor-strives-to-become-more-pedestrian-accessible/