2015 Multi-Use Path Round-up

After a bit of a lull, this looks to be a big year in multi-use paths around the city. While Indianapolis is still struggling with the basics of street design,  we seem to be more successful in building these off-street paths. There are at least five that are either under construction or planned for 2015.

Eagle Creek Greenway:

Construction is well underway on the Eagle Creek Greenway in Pike Township. We had a guest post on this trail a few months ago, and the writer of that post sent us some updated photos from last weekend:

Photo Credit: Scott Allen
Photo Credit: Scott Allen
Photo Credit: Scott Allen
Photo Credit: Scott Allen

Pennsy Trail:

The Pennsy Trail construction plans to connect the Pleasant Run Trail with the completed portion of the Pennsy Trail which is east of Arlington Avenue. The current project area is shown in the map below, and more specific plans can be seen here:

pennsymap

Urban Indy blogger Emily Neitzel took some photos of the construction:

Photo Credit: Emily Neitzel
Photo Credit: Emily Neitzel
Photo Credit: Emily Neitzel
Photo Credit: Emily Neitzel
Photo Credit: Emily Neitzel
Photo Credit: Emily Neitzel
Photo Credit: Emily Neitzel
Photo Credit: Emily Neitzel

Pogues Run Trail:

Initial construction of the Pogue’s Run Trail is intended to connect the Monon Trail (and Cultural Trail) with Spades and Brookside Parks.

A closeup look at the planned intersection with the corner of 10th Street and Brookside Avenue is shown below:

poguesrun1

The project area map is shown below:

poguesrun1

Emily Neitzel also took some photos of the lane closures for us:

Closed off lanes and sidewalk on Brookside (1)
Photo Credit: Emily Neitzel
10th St. northmost lane is closed2
Photo Credit: Emily Neitzel

East 71st Street Multi-Use Path:

This will be a path similar to the completed ones on College Avenue near Meridian Hills or East 62nd Street. Not necessarily connective, but it will likely be popular with residents. Construction is underway here, although we have no photos of it at this time. Project map can be seen here.

Nora: College Avenue Multi-Use Path:

Similar to East 71st Street, this will be mostly for residents of the area. It will be located between 86th Street and 91st Street. There is no project map at this time, but I found this article on it. Thanks to Urban Indy reader and fellow GIS advocate Jill Saligoe-Simmel for giving me the heads up on this one.

Conclusion:

It will be interesting to see what direction the city will take after the November Mayoral Election with regards to cycling (and pedestrian) infrastructure. Indianapolis Monthly has a nice feature up on the major party candidates. But I remember a quote from Mayor Ballard when he was first elected that “Hoosiers love their cars”. That he was able to help foster the growth of cycling after such a quote puts me a bit at ease that the momentum will be able to continue regardless of the person in charge. And maybe they will do even better, because the public advocacy is so much stronger than it was 8 years ago.

Finally, thanks to Jamison Hutchens, Emily Neitzel, Scott Allen for their help with the information and photos in this post.

Comments 13

  • Eagle Creek Greenway: have any other phases broken ground other than Phase II (46th to Windham)?
    Pogues Run: Have they broken ground on any portion of this phase? (it’s nice to see some lanes blocked off at least)
    Michigan/New York/Pennsylvania St protected bike lanes: Does anyone know when these are breaking ground? Or if they already have?

    • Pogues Run has had a small hiccup, but they should be working on it now. Also, the drawing at 10th and Brookside, while pretty, is not the final version.

      Michigan and NY protected lanes also have run into a few issues, but they are being worked out.

      • Hi Aiden-
        The only change to the 10th and Brookside intersection, that I know of, is the elimination of the ADA accessible parking space and the rain garden immediately adjacent and a shifting/straightening of the trail related to that change.

        As someone who has been involved with the community side in planning the trail, you have piqued my curiosity. Do you have any details to share?

    • Re Eagle Creek:
      Just so we’re using the same terminology, they’re calling 46th to Windham ‘Phase I’. (I think they have gotten into phases within phases, so it’s getting confusing.) It’s expected complete in November, but that weather the other night made a pretty big mess of things. They were out this morning pouring stone, so I guess things are still moving along.

      According to DPW, the groundbreaking on Phase IV, which is at the south end roughly between I-70 and Kentucky Ave, is “July”, but I haven’t been down there to see if anything is going on yet. (This DPW one-sheet says July-December construction schedule.)

      The two middle phases are both “in design”, and as far as I’m aware will be constructed in 2016, provided something hasn’t slowed them down. I know those two legs had the most land acquisition issues, so who knows.

  • I should probably know since I talked to Kären Haley occasionally, but has there been any further interest in spurs or other loops added to the Cultural Trail? I know right after it was finished there was interest, but the price tag (multi-million per mile) was a bit daunting. I’d love to see a spur head east over the abandon rail bridge over the Split and then up past Indiana City and Flat 12, hooking up with Pogue’s Run Trail and the Pennsy Trail.

  • The difference between these projects and the truly connected cities in Europe, for example, is that Europeans understand that “trails” are actually part of the transportation network and not just for recreation. Therefore, they have to go somewhere useful, and go from A to B using the quickest, fastest route.

    Indy will never move the needle on active mobility until we understand this, too.

    • I think the Pogues Run Trail, and especially the Pennsy Trail could be considered part of the network.

      Otherwise, I think you’re probably right. Instead of the Eagle Creek, for instance, we should instead be investing in connecting the B&O Trail downtown. And of course, we still have the Monon.

      • Definitely agree about the Monon and B&O – these are/would be a huge improvement for the city.

        Yet, trails like the Monon still come up short in that it isn’t really connected like a street is. Hardly any retail, residential or commercial development fronts the Monon like it does on the Cultural Trail. Makes for a huge difference in the user experience.

      • The Hoosier Rails to Trails Council and associate groups have this project underway, i.e. trying to connect the B&O from downtown to Speedway…

  • We moved back to Indy from Houston because of all the great things you’re doing to make this an incredibly bike-friendly city! Thanks so much for that.

  • The city has been working on the East 71st St Bike Path and it is nearing completion. It will be a great addition to the neighborhood.

    It would be an even better addition if it were more connected. The eastern end is planned to stop at Hague Rd. A few blocks north on Hague are Lawrence North High School and the Lawrence Branch of the Public Library. A few blocks south is the Fall Creek Greenway.

    I wonder if these destinations were considered during the planning? Any suggestions?

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