Guest Post: Cultural Trail – Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda by Andy Howard
Posted by Kevin Kastner in Bicycling, Neighborhoods, Pedestrian on May 16th, 2013 | 21 comments
Let me preface this post by saying – I love the Cultural Trail. I use it a minimum of 4 times a week and, more typically, about a dozen times taking my daughters to school, picking up groceries at Marsh, getting frozen yogurt at one of the many shops along the trail, and just going out for a leisurely stroll.
Now, since I’m on the trail so much, I’ve gotten to know a few sniggles that have bothered me so I thought I would share them here on Urban Indy. Each item will come with a little list of concerning the severity of the problem and how fixable it is.
Side street turn radius
Severity:...
Study Examines Streamlining IN37 on NE Side
Posted by Curt Ailes in New Development on May 15th, 2013 | 1 comment
A recently completed study by a number of agencies, lead by the Town of Fishers and Town of Noblesville, outlines the possibility of a large scale project that would convert IN37, from I-69 all the way to IN38, from the existing 4 lane divided and rural style highway, to a design that would emulate what Carmel has achieved with Keystone Parkway using an innovative roundabout design.
Currently, the study area defined for IN-37 exists as a 2 lane divided highway with multiple stop lights spanning over 5.5 miles from I69 to In32/38. A number of construction projects are currently underway to smooth the...
Pennsy Pocket Park
Posted by Kevin Kastner in Bicycling, Neighborhoods, Pedestrian on May 14th, 2013 | 9 comments
Recently, I learned of a new Pocket Park project being launched in Irvington by Keep Indianapolis Beautiful. The park is located to the south of the Marsh store, along the Pennsy Trail:
The KIB webpage linked to a photo of the park’s construction, which is obviously in the early stages:
I contacted Ben McGhee, who helped to design the park to find out some more information. He sent along a few renderings:
Ben McGhee, Brian Burtch, and Chris Stuart of Design Authority answered some questions I had about the project:
1. Where did the reclaimed material originate?
In early...
SEND new construction: multi-unit infill in two emerging neighborhoods.
Posted by Eric McAfee in New Development on May 11th, 2013 | 12 comments
It’s rare that buildings this small get a comprehensive analysis on Urban Indy. Usually it’s just a snapshot. But since these multi-family structures represent probably the first permits for new construction on the near south side in decades, and I, your journalist, am incapable of keeping my articles short, you get the full deal. And, from putting my ear to the train tracks for a few months, it seems that the opinions run the full gamut on the success of these developments, so my intent is to put it all into perspective. Here they are. The first development, with a Phase I complete and...
Cultural Trail Grand Opening
Posted by Kevin Kastner in Bicycling, Neighborhoods, Pedestrian on May 8th, 2013 | 17 comments
This Saturday, the Indianapolis Cultural Trail is throwing a Grand Opening party like none other. Titled Get Down On It, the party features events for all ages to celebrate the completion of the trail. There have been many delays, frustrations, and even a time where people were wondering if there was enough funding for the trail to be completed. It took years of dedication, but it is finally complete*.
Here at Urban Indy, we thought it would be a good idea to offer some of our thoughts about the trail and place them in this post.
Curtis Ailes:
The Cultural Trail is a piece of infrastructure...
Refined Green Line Downtown Alternatives
Posted by Curt Ailes in Transit on May 7th, 2013 | 0 comments
The Citizen’s Advisory Committee for the Green Line met recently and presented the latest findings for downtown alignments. I wrote about these 4 alignments in February when details were in the preliminary state of analysis.
With some firm rails to run on, in depth study on each alignment has proceeded. The study has paused for input from a number of stakeholders upon which further revisions may occur and some alignments may be eliminated. Lets jump in and see what they found!
LRT/BRT Options
To lay the ground work for this analysis, first understand that there are 4 alignment options which...
May 2013 Wallpaper
Posted by Curt Ailes in Neighborhoods on May 6th, 2013 | 1 comment
Hope everyone is doing well! Enjoy this month’s wallpaper, taken from the top of an anonymous downtown structure. Can anyone guess where it was taken from?
2560 x 1600
1280 x 853
1280 x 1024
1366 x...
New Project Approved for College and North
Posted by Kevin Kastner in New Development on May 2nd, 2013 | 17 comments
The Indianapolis Business Journal’s Property Lines blog has posted an article about the approval of a new large multi-building project at the corner of College Avenue and North Street. This article has plenty of information on it, but Urban Indy has been fortunate enough to receive additional renderings of the project from Craig McCormick, principal of Blackline Architecture:
Looks quite solid to me. Certainly is better use of the space than what is there...
Empty check-in at IND.
Posted by Eric McAfee in Transit on May 1st, 2013 | 9 comments
I was torn between posting my latest here or on my personal site, American Dirt. While most Indy-themed articles end up finding their way here, this one scrutinized airports in a way that I usually only apply to my personal site. So I’ll paraphrase it here, but the full post is there on Dirt.
It’s not necessarily fair to judge Indianapolis International Airport’s Colonel H. Weir Cook Terminal on its level of activity at 9pm on a Friday. But at a time in the evening when larger airports are still humming, about 80% of the retail options are closed at IND. Perhaps more important...
HB1011 relegated to Study Committee
Posted by Curt Ailes in Transit on Apr 29th, 2013 | 17 comments
Urban Indy has kept up to the minute with the goings-on of HB1011, mass transit, which was introduced in the Indiana House this year. Friday April 26th, it was reported that Representative Jerry Torr, author of the bill, had signed off on the Senate adopted version of the bill; that being all referendum authorizing language the original bill covered was stripped and replaced with a bi-partisan study committee being established to look into the issue over the summer.
As written, the study committee has a December 2013 deadline to report back to the state legislature its findings. Presumably, after this...
