Fall Creek Trail Extension – Construction Update 1
Posted by Curt Ailes in Bicycling on Mar 21st, 2013 | 11 comments
Fall Creek Trail Extension (image credit: Curtis Ailes)
Indianapolis cyclists and pedestrians rejoice! Construction of the long awaited extension of the Fall Creek Trail has begun! Crews broke ground just a couple weeks ago removing trees and beginning to grade the path upon which the latest Indy Parks Greenway will follow. If you have used portions of the existing trail you have undoubtedly wished for the link connecting the end point at the Monon, with the lower portion south of Fall Creek and between Central and Meridian.
Right now, I do not have any information about when the trail construction will be completed, but I do have a map as well as a few details regarding how the trail will address certain streets.
Fall Creek Trail – College Ave Crossing (image credit: Indy Parks)
Where the trail crosses 30th street, it will pass underneath of the existing bridge. This will make it nice for users since 30th street is a busy corridor.
Fall Creek Trail – Central Ave Crossing (image credit: Indy Parks)
However, where the trail crosses College Ave and Central Ave, users will have to pause and utilize signaled pedestrian crossings. The trail will cross, at grade, as shown in the included plan photos above. At Central Ave, the trail will cross and run along the West Side of the bridge and connect with the existing trail. It does not appear that a dedicated lane will be given to the trail on Central and over the Fall Creek bridge where a lane has been restricted for nearly a year due to some structural issues.
As more information becomes available and construction progresses, we will provide updates.
Cannot wait for this extension! I really enjoy the Fall Creek area when riding my bike.
Extension is great, but I wish they would do a better job of maintaining the trail. Parts of it can be pretty tough on a road bike.
Agreed. I rode the length of it last weekend and there are several sections that are covered by sand dunes from previous flooding and erosion. The pavement on the northern half is also very rough.
Curt, the Central Ave. bridge has very wide sidewalks, with overlooks.
Also, the other end of the Fall Creek Trail is also being extended, from Skiles Test Park under I-465 and Shadeland to the “back gate” of Fort Harrison State Park at 63rd/Shafter/Boy Scout Rd. There, the plans do call for a road diet and sidewalk wider than normal (7-8 feet).
Soon, one will be able to cycle on a “bike interstate” all the way from Lawrence Village at the Fort to 25th & Meridian with only a few street crossings (63rd, 38th, College, and Central). Better than the Monon, and more interesting because most of it is along the river instead of people’s backyards.
Should have been more clear: the Shafter/63rd/Boy Scout bridge over the creek will have a lane diet and a wide sidewalk added.
I hadn’t realized they were extending it to the Fort. That has always been frustrating to ride up that way and be dumeped out, so close to the park, at a very busy intersection and a rough shoulder to get to the park.
This is one of the most underutilized trails in the city and with some improvements, it could be a great ammenity!
There is a public meeting for the other end of the trail into FB tonight. It is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year (2013).
Hopefully this can be well utilized by the neighborhoods on the north side of Fall Creek parkway, which has got to be the most pedestrian and bicycle unfriendly stretch of road in Indy, save the interstates. Not very many places where a pedestrian can safely cross to get to the trail.
Nevertheless, I’m looking forward to using this for my daily commute instead of the Capitol bike lane. Huzzah!
The Mid North QOL plan identified access both to the Monon and across the Parkway to the FC trail as a key infrastructure/connectivity need. A working group led by a resident is developing solutions. UI Blogger Chris Corr has attended several of the working sessions
Next steps: Convert 28th Street from Central Avenue to Illinois into a bicycle boulevard (or add some other accommodation for bicyclists – cycle track, on street bike lanes, shared street…) then add 2 way separated cycle track south on Illinois to Fall Creek. Connects Mapleton Fall Creek community, Ivy Tech, maybe Children’s Museum into Fall Creek Greenway… then, continue FCG southwest along corridor towards Watson Park/Burdsall Pkwy/Riverside Park then south to 16 Tech area and finally to tie in with White River Greenway. Provides much needed E/W connectivity, links to larger trail network, and a 13 mile multi-use trail from downtown Indy to Ft. Ben.
I have been watching this development out my window from work since it started. Ironically, it started only a week or two after a school bus was hit and almost careened down the south Central Avenue side into the creek. Amazingly, no one was hurt. The pedestrian foot traffic will be interesting. This is a very busy intersection of Fall Creek.