BERRIEN COUNTY — Be Healthy Berrien, Berrien County Health Department, and Southwest Michigan Planning Commission will host an open house and are asking the community to give input on the design of a new walking/biking trail between Niles and Berrien Springs.

The event will take place from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 7 at the Niles-Buchanan YMCA, 905 N. Front St., Niles. Community members are invited to drop in at any time during the event. Presentations will take place 4:30 and 5:30 p.m.

The partners are inviting the community to give feedback about the best way to connect Niles to Berrien Springs with a walking/biking trail. The open-house style event will include several activities for providing input on priorities for the proposed trail, challenges with walking and biking in Niles and Berrien Springs, and ideas for possible solutions. Light refreshments will be provided.  Those in need of transportation assistance can email BeHealthyBerrien@gmail.com or call (269) 982-4063.   

The proposed trail between Niles and Berrien Springs would be an extension of the existing Indiana-Michigan River Valley Trail that currently routes from Plym Park in the city of Niles to Mishawaka. The proposed 9-mile extension would bring the total trail mileage to just over 40 miles. 

Funding for this project is part of a $90,000 award to Be Healthy Berrien and Berrien County Health Department from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Service’s Michigan Health and Wellness 4×4 Grant Program.

Be Healthy Berrien is a county-wide partnership of Berrien County Health Department, Southwest Michigan Planning Commission, Spectrum Health Lakeland, United Way of Southwest Michigan, and YMCA of Southwest Michigan. The organization seeks to reduce obesity and chronic illness by creating healthy places to live, work, learn and play. For more information about Be Healthy Berrien, people can visit BeHealthyBerrien.org.