The Indiana Purchase 

It may not have quite the grandeur of the original Louisiana Purchase, but 204 years later, Indiana's agreement to buy 150 miles of unused railway corridors represents a "quantum leap forward" for the state, says Gov. Mitch Daniels. His ambitious goal is to have every Hoosier living within 15 minutes of a trail within 10 years.
 
Under the terms of the deal, which won't be finalized until later in December, Indiana will pay the former Penn Central Rail Line $1.5 million for 400 parcels of land spread throughout the state in 39 counties. While all the segments won't be contiguous, each stretch of corridor will help cement missing links in the state's growing rail-trail network. The system already includes highly popular commuter and recreational pathways like and Monon Trail in Indianapolis.
 
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) President Keith Laughlin praised Daniels for his commitment to trail development. "It takes visionary leadership," Laughlin says, "to build a connected, accessible network of trails around the country. RTC's own goal is to have 90 percent of Americans living within three miles of a trail system by 2020. Gov. Daniels has taken a huge step for his state and the entire trails, walking and biking movement."
 
In his trails vision, Daniels has emphasized the enormous potential for community connections, economic development, and interactions with the natural environment. And all of these benefits, says Ellen Whitt, senior advisor for health promotions in the governor's office, are closely tied to his focus on quality of life and fitness.
 
Whitt says the state's trail plan offers a natural partnership with the governor's INShape Indiana  initiative, an online fitness program to help keep people active, improve their eating habits and make healthier lifestyle choices. INShape already has 50,000 registrants, and rail-trails help generate new outlets for safe, fun and sustainable physical activity.
 
"In terms of the governor's plan itself," she says, "the real measure is how many miles of trail you get on the ground, and how much those trails are being used."
 
As soon as the deal closes, the state will give the rail corridors back to local communities for development. At that point, Whitt says, the next step is to get local governments, businesses and nonprofits excited about projects in their area.