Remnant Sidewalks: A Human Connection through an Auto-based Environment

This is a start of what will hopefully be a new series of posts on some old remnant sidewalks in the city, which can pop up from time to time in places that one wouldn’t normally expect. This one in Babe-Denny near I-70 popped out at me when I was viewing the aerial of the neighborhood. This area is ravaged by awful car-based streets, that seem to pour vehicles as quickly and as often as possible onto and off of the looming Interstate. But, probably when this configuration was built, at least they found room for a sidewalk connecting one part of Ray Street with another:

Image Credit: Map Indy

I’ve looked at the aerials in this area for years without noticing this sidewalk. It appears that it is in decent shape, which is a good thing, because who knows if it will ever be repaved if needed:

Image Credit: Kevin Kastner
Image Credit: Kevin Kastner

Here it is as it goes under an entrance ramp, and abuts an exit ramp:

Image Credit: Kevin Kastner
Image Credit: Kevin Kastner

The east side of the trail does appear to be in danger of being overgrown by honeysuckle. I’m not sure how often the city maintains the vegetation along this almost-forgotten route. Regardless, it’s a good thing that this exists. If the near southside can make a comeback instead of mainly serving as parking for Lucas Oil Stadium, this odd sidewalk might come in handy.

 

 

 

Comments 1

  • Another one runs from the corner of Sanders and Wright streets north to Morris Street just west of the ramp to southbound I-65. It had become so overgrown and unused that when the Bates-Hendricks Neighborhood Association cleared it out a few years ago, people thought that it was newly built.

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