Broad Ripple Needs to Increase its Density
Posted by Kevin Kastner in Neighborhoods on Mar 10th, 2011 | 33 comments
The latest Census figures tell us that the southern heart of Broad Ripple lost population last year:
Here is a look at new buildings that have been constructed in this region. Lines in red indicate a change from 2001 to 2011:
Not much going on here. A few new condos near the Monon Trail, but that’s about it.
Contrast this with the population gain in the northern half of Broad Ripple, which has added a good deal of apartments and condos in the past decade:
Here are the northern section”s new buildings. Note the concentration in the purple circle:
The differences between attitudes...
Transit over Freight in transportation planning?
Posted by Curt Ailes in Transit on Mar 10th, 2011 | 3 comments
An interesting blog post over at Portland Transport recently got my gears turning. The post in question, put to the test the argument that nearly ALL road expansion projects tout the ability to be able to move freight quickly and efficiently. The post also points out that freight does not always win out, yet if we look at recent discretionary funding, we can see that the Federal government awarded stimulus money to upgrading private railroad infrastructure. Also, there is talk of truck only lanes across the Midwest that seems to be gaining some steam.
Given that American manufacturing has been on the...
State lawmakers scuttling transit projects
Posted by Curt Ailes in Transit on Mar 9th, 2011 | 12 comments
What started as a squeak in November has turned into a low roar. What is this low roar? The dying gasp of transit projects across the nation. In case you have not noticed, there is a bit of political turmoil going on here in America. It seems that no one is immune to the affects of the recent election. Regarding transportation, the problems started when NJ Governor cancelled the ARC project that would have increased commuter train access into NYC. Then, Wisconsin and Ohio’s new GOP Governors rejected Federal funding that was awarded to the previous administration for High Speed Rail....
The Joy of Medium-length Trips by Bicycle
Posted by Kevin Kastner in Bicycling on Mar 7th, 2011 | 24 comments
Anyone who knows me can tell you I’m not much of an exercise guru. Â Don’t get me wrong, I love getting out on my bike, but I love it even more when there is a set destination and purpose for the trip. Â With gas prices rising even faster than the spring temperatures, this is a good time to extoll the virtues of purposeful medium-length bicycle trips.
One of the great things about a city with a connected street grid is its side streets. Â Often when I think about taking a trip to run an errand in a somewhat unfamiliar place, I look at Google Maps to see how the side streets connect....
Rebuild Indy: What are we rebuilding?
Posted by Curt Ailes in Neighborhoods on Mar 3rd, 2011 | 8 comments
In 2010, Mayor Greg Ballard used bonding capacity against equity in our water/sewer utilities as well as future rate increases to fund a program that is called, Rebuild Indy. The first injection of funds came in to the tune of $55 million. It was used to jumpstart the program and largely includes resurfacing streets, repairing some sidewalks, and constructing a trail on the NW side of Indianapolis by adding a trail from Cold Springs Road to Kessler Boulevard along Michigan Road. A couple of weeks ago, $32 million more in projects were announced. Some bridge reconstruction work is planned for...
