I hope that you are enjoying a brief respite from the short session and taking in what our fine capital city has to offer. The Super Bowl is here this week and our city is displaying the fruits of 40 years of effort to revitalize the city’s core, and indeed primary economic engine of our entire state. Thousands of people from the region and in fact the entire country, have descended on our city to work, play and spend money. It represents a coming of age for a town that was pretty sleepy when most of you were growing through your impressionable years.

I suppose that makes a lot of sense now when I look back at the last month of legislation and how it was handled. By that, I mean that highways in Indiana will keep their funding status quo and transit, will again be pushed off until later. Meanwhile, legislation for right to work was crammed through so fast, it had people’s heads spinning. Additionally, creationism was approved in the Senate as a viable subject of research in our schools further blurring the line between church and state.

One of the potentially biggest regional game changers was allowed to die on the vine; without much of a logical reason why. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are to blame for this. Namely, Jeff Espich, the Republican who offered HB1073 (Public Mass Transit) admittedly as a watch dog. Mr. Espich, I feel you never intended for this to pass and merely want your record to show you voted in favor of transit so you can tell people like me to stuff it.

Equally to blame is Democrat Bill Crawford who piped up in the last minutes when HB1073 was still alive and said he supported transit but not the RTW language. Guess what, there were plenty of us who thought it was bunk too, but apparently you didn’t get the message about keeping the bus moving forward. Your testimony effectively killed decades of momentum built to pass this legislation.

My offer from a couple weeks ago is still open. If you two would like to come over to my home and have dinner,  my wife is an excellent cook. I can help mend fences and show you how city dwellers view transit and it’s need here in the capital city.

As it stands, locals are now waiting to see what happens. Some of us are holding out hope that there is still a chance to amend a bill this session authorizing a transit referendum. We haven’t given up and frankly, my advise is that you folks don’t either. As we argue over a local issue that has been planned locally, supported locally and would be funded locally, you stand back while billions are spent on road expansion. Highways that offer little to the low density populations they run through are being built. I speak of the I-69 extension, the Heartland Connector and the US31 expansion. What are they doing for the general Indiana taxpayer? Offering little to locals and their regions for a huge investment of money. That makes little financial sense to me and it should to you too.

Over the last few years I have spent a lot of time and money travelling to cities like Portland, Washington DC, Chicago and Charlotte attempting to educate myself on the issues. I have drug my family along and we have all grown richer in knowledge as we visit these places. The last census report showed that Portland, Seattle and Denver, cities have have embarked on massive rail investments, have enjoyed robust population growth. That means MONEY, JOBS, REGIONAL VITALITY, and INCREASED QUALITY OF LIFE for everyone. While we can agree transit wasn’t the primary motivator, it plays a large role; for those of us who understand quality mass transit, the link is clear.

In closing, I would ask that you all look in the mirror. For a group who has made their primary objective this session a piece of legislation that gives citizens a choice about their job, it sure seems pretty hypocritical to say that we do not get a choice about our mode of transportation. And don’t tell us to talk about it. That’s all we do here is talk about transit. It’s time to do something about it. The plan is sound, its economically feasible and people support it. Give us the opportunity to show you we can do it right here in the capital city without you holding our hands. Allow us to continue improving the capital city.

Welcome to Indianapolis, NFL fans

If anyone in the area has not been to the Superbowl Village (i.e. Georgia Street) you are missing out on a truly unique experience.  This will be a watershed event, both for Indianapolis festival planning, as well as for the future of sporting events in the US.  We have set the bar pretty high on this one.

Indy Cars at a cross-promotion for the Superbowl

Here are some photos I wanted to share with everyone.  It’s only been up for a few days, so I can’t wait to see how it develops as we approach the weekend of the big game.  See you all downtown!

Superbowl Village is centered around the pedestrianized Georgia Street

JW Marriott has their spirit on

A favorite activity is ziplining above the crowds

Laces out!

Indy's finest are on foot this week (keep up the good work guys!)

At night the village comes to life with music

The main stage

Bret Michaels rocked it on opening night

Former Colts player Hunter Smith taking the Pepsi Stage

The Village People were a big draw

People are loving this place

Members of the House are currently drafting a bill to eliminate programs such as Safe Routes to School and Bike/Ped positions in state DOTs. This is an urgent request to email your representative and let them know, Bike/Ped infrastructure isn’t a desire, it is a basic need and a logical way to reduce the nation’s dependence on oil, the auto and expensive infrastructure!

http://www.capwiz.com/lab/issues/alert/?alertid=60927571&PROCESS=Take+Action

Cultural Trail at West St & St. Clair (image credit: Curt Ailes)

Case in point, the above picture. This was the west side of West Street at the St. Clair street crossing. The officer, with IMPD, was parked here on my way to class as well as on my way out of campus 2 hours later. Car blocking up the trail and all. On my way back home, I got a red light at this intersection and I decided to engage the officer. The conversation went like this:

Me: Does IMPD have a permit to park on the trail like this? 

Officer: I do not know. (shrug)

Me: Because it’s illegal for the rest of us. 

Officer: (shrug)

While the officer was not totally blocking the trail, there are PLENTY of side streets in this area where she could have parked her car and walked over to, I assume, provide traffic control for the busy afternoon commute as she had been positioned at the traffic light control panel.

What bothers me about this is the double standard. If bikes were parked in the middle of West Street, the police would surely show up and make sure that they were moved. However, in this case, the police themselves were the offenders blocking up one of the city’s key pieces of new cycling infrastructure.

It’s time to stop this sort of behavior Indianapolis.

We discussed potential routes and attractions, and debated what would be most worthwhile for someone making this trip.  We concluded that the best option was to focus on a single route that hit some of the best places for nightlife in the city.  We chose bus route #17, which can get passengers close to the Broad Ripple, College Ave, Mass Ave, and downtown nightlife districts in one single route.

We decided to test out this route last Saturday and it worked pretty well.  The buses were on-time, clean, and full of friendly people.  We added on a separate trip to Fountain Square at the end because of the new Fountain Square Brewery grand opening event, but in general the #17 line will offer more than enough choices for superfans.

But, please note there are some major caveats with this:

1. Bus service in Indianapolis typically ends much earlier than you would expect.  Always check the bus schedule for the day and time you want just to make sure there will be one available.  I recommend starting farther away from downtown and working your way back, just so you have the option to stay a bit longer at the last stop and walk the rest.
2. Indianapolis has a small number of buses and 30 minute headways on route #17, so plan ahead when ordering those beers and paying the tab.

If you decide not to do the bus #17 route, there will be some other options including a free shuttle service between the different areas with nightlife, walking/biking along the cultural trail, or taking a cab.  Whatever you choose, enjoy it and be safe!

In the end, I hope anyone visiting these places has as much fun as we did.  Here’s a sample of our night’s events:

Indianapolis is a great place to visit for a weekend getaway.  The city is famous for its Motor Speedway, sports teams, and revitalized downtown.  But what about the rest of the city?  Can a city famous for its love of cars be explored by alternative means of transportation?  This is an invitation to explore the lesser known areas of Indianapolis that may surprise the visitor.

Arrival

Megabus runs nonstop 7 times a day from downtown Chicago, as well as once a day from downtown Columbus, Ohio to Indianapolis at 10:40 in the morning. The downtown stop in Columbus is located at the northwest corner of Nationwide Blvd and High Street. After about 3 and a half hours of traveling, the passenger will arrive in the heart of downtown Indianapolis near the City County Building, located at 200 East Washington Street.

The stop is conveniently close to IndyGo’s bus ticket office which is located at 34 N Delaware Street, so if you are planning on riding the bus during this trip, it is a good idea to stop here first for maps and ride passes.  Another benefit of this location is the brand new Indy Bike Hub, which has bicycles to rent.

If the visitor is traveling to Indianapolis by airplane, that’s not a bad thing, as it’s the nicest airport I’ve ever seen.  There is a direct bus route to downtown, the Green Line.  Please take note of the Super Bowl week detours at the bottom of the page.

Where to Stay

A google or kayak search can find a boatload of chain hotels near the Convention Center, but the city features other locally-owned options.  This might be too-little, too-late for most travelers, but it probably won’t hurt to try.

Fountainview Inn

Located in increasingly awesome Fountain Square, this small hotel is located in the most prominent building in the neighborhood, the Fountain Square theater building.

Indy Hostel

The best option for travelers on a budget, this hostel is located in a house right next to the Monon Trail at 49th and Winthrop in Meridian Kessler neighborhood.

Nestle Inn

The closest Bed and Breakfast to downtown offers an unbeatable location next to the Massachusetts Avenue cultural district in the Chatham Arch neighborhood.

All Nations Bed and Breakfast

Funky place on the Near North Side with internationally themed rooms.

Canterbury Hotel

The best option for a traveler that can’t avoid staying downtown in a large hotel.  The Canterbury is the only place to stay that is not part of a national chain.  The fact that it is gorgeous and has a fine restaurant doesn’t hurt its cause.

Recommended Bicycle Routes

Cultural Trail

(Image credit: Curtis Ailes)

Indianapolis has done a fantastic job in the past 5 years of improving its bicycle infrastructure.  The city boasts one of the finest separated urban trails in the country, the Cultural Trail.  A good portion of this trail is still under construction, but the North, Northeast, East, and Capitol Avenue legs are fully completed and ready for exploration.  The trail also doubles as a pedestrian path.  See the Cultural Trail map for the exact location of this exciting urban amenity.

The Monon Trail

(Image credit: Kevin Kastner)

The Cultural Trail links with the most traveled rail-trail in the city, the Monon.  This trail heads north towards two of the most stable and upwardly mobile neighborhoods in the city: Meridian Kessler and Broad Ripple. The trail continues north into Hamilton County past the tony suburb of Carmel.  Most of the action in Meridian Kessler is 3 blocks to the west, along the College Avenue nodes of 49th, 52nd, and 54th Street.  Broad Ripple is similar to a small town in its layout.

The Canal Towpath

The Central Canal Towpath is a bucolic escape from the bustle of the city.  The crushed stone path heads north towards Broad Ripple from downtown, in conjunction with the White River Wapahani Trail.  A rider who rents a bicycle at White River State Park could easily head north along these paths.  Featured stops include the highly recommended (and free!) Indianapolis Art Museum, the Butler University Campus, and the shops at 56th and Illinois Streets.

Bike Lanes

Ten years ago, this city had zero on-street bicycle lanes aside from a random country road in northwestern Marion County.  They are now popping around town, and as of publication several are convenient enough to be recommended for transportation for the visitor.  The lanes on New York and Michigan streets work in tandem as they follow one way streets.  Recommended destinations include the gorgeous historic neighborhoods of Woodruff Place and Irvington.  More information on the city’s bike lane initiative can be found here.

Circle City Pedicabs

A fun option for car-free transportation around downtown is the local Pedicab service.  Call in advance to secure the ride.

IndyGo Bus Service

Visitors would be wise to stick with a few of the most popular and logical lines: the 8, the 10, the 17, and the 38.  If you are planning on staying downtown and visiting the north side for food and drinks at night, it is a good idea to ride the 17 bus to the area and plan on taking a taxi home, as the last bus of the night runs at around 10 pm.  Taxis are more abundant in Broad Ripple than any other place in town outside of downtown or the airport.  The general rule for bus riding is to follow the schedule, and try to avoid transferring outside of downtown.  Buses are almost never early (they will stop for a minute or two if they are ahead of schedule), but are occasionally late.

Neighborhoods

Broad Ripple

Overview:

The most well-known neighborhood in the city, Broad Ripple is more than just a place to party on weekends.   Wander around in the area to the north of Broad Ripple Avenue to visit the place where the local adults meet to socialize and shop.  Broad Ripple can be visited on IndyGo bus number 17.

Activities and Shopping:

Grace Apostolic Church Demolition (image credit: Tiffany Benedict Berkson)

A tragedy of epic civic proportions is occurring at the corner of 22nd and College Ave on the near north side of Indianapolis. The old portion of the Grace Apostolic Church was recently mowed down thanks to a tall crane with a wrecking ball attached to it.

Grace Apostolic Church Demolition (image credit: Tiffany Benedict Berkson)

I made some brief inquiries into what the purpose of the demolition was. I checked in with Chelsea Humble of King Park CDC and she that it was being destroyed to make way for a new parking lot. It pained me to see this building coming down for a couple of reasons. First, it was a beautiful structure. To watch it meet the wrecking ball to make way for a parking lot seems a tragically undignified end to it’s life. Second, for the cost of the demolition and parking lot, I am QUITE sure that many people could have been helped out whether that was feeding the poor, reaching out to the hundreds of underfunded community organizations, etc. It seems a short return on investment to say that preserving the place of worship through automobile parking was the best use of funds for this church. However, these reasons are subjective based upon each person’s perspective of religion and faith.

Grace Apostolic Church Demolition (image credit: Tiffany Benedict Berkson)

I drove past the site too many times during the demolition without taking photos but as luck would have it, some existed and I contacted Tiffany Benedict Berkson of Historic Indianapolis who graciously agreed to share hers. She captured the destruction perfectly.

Special thanks to Tiffany Benedict Berkson of Historic Indianapolis for the images and additional commentary on the topic. Check out her post on the property here.

Indy Downtown Parking (from Google Map screenshot)

 Some of the lots are under redevelopment with City Way (SE quadrant) and the recently announced Block 400 (NW quad) taking up significant amounts of parking. However, I thought that this was still a fair assesement of what we have to deal with on a daily basis.

Houston, TX Parking Lots

I have also included a few examples of other cities from a now infamous post on skyscraperpage.com.

DT Parking (image credit: Kevin Kastner)

IndyGo on Ohio St (image credit: Curt Ailes)

HB1073 (Public Mass Transit) was dealt a heavy blow today when it went down 10-11 in the House Ways & Means committee this morning. Partisan bickering erupted early on with Representative Crawford singling out the labor language in the bill. Jeff Espich, committee Chairman, pointed out that he had stripped half of the labor related language out but it appeared the Democrats on the committee were not going to budge and continued to vote no. To be clear, the transit portion of the bill never seemed to be at the heart of the debate over HB1073; it was always the labor.

The bickering could be see as an extension of the passionate debate of the past few weeks over Right to Work legislation which passed the House yesterday with Democrats coming up on the losing end of that debate.

This officially puts HB1073 in the failed bills category but does not altogether bury it from being passed in some other form this session. Ron Gifford, executive director of the Central Indiana Transit Task Force, has said that he will do his best to get the transit language reinserted into another bill later in the session; perhaps in a couple weeks. According to his comments in the Indianapolis Star, this is not the best way to get the job done, but is not unheard of and given that the transit portion itself seems to benefit from bipartisan support, may have some hope of passage.

However, the over-arching theme today and indeed this entire session, has been passion from both sides that seem to have been deeply routed in their philosophical political beliefs; only one Democrat (Peggy Welch) voted in favor of the legislation while claiming to not like the labor language. Apparently my offer of dinner was not enough to sway any other legislators to think cooperatively about transit.

Urban Indy will continue to keep everyone up to date as more develops regarding transit during this session. Stay tuned. If there is a call to action in the next few weeks, we will provide the details.

Full disclosure, my family has also had the privilege of hosting regional transit officials of the highest order over delicious meals prepared by my wife which include but are not limited to lasagna, pasta and with plenty of red wine, and local beer. I would like to think that the Urban Indy group has had a pretty good say in what has become Indy Connect. While we are not 100% pleased, we have been heard and the fact that we were able to usher busy transit officials into the living room of our homes for good food and beer says something about what people of Indianapolis are capable of getting done.

So it comes with utter disappointment that as tomorrow is coming on the road ahead and the possible death of HB1073 (Public Mass Transit), that I offer up the same invitation to any Indiana House Ways & Means Committee member. Come over to my home. I’ve already asked my wife Casey if she would be willing to have any of you, and Mr Espich, I am notably asking you, to come on over. Have a glass of wine and a plate of good food and lets talk transit. Maybe the appeal of good will and citizens willing to go the extra mile will instill a moment of bi-partisan cooperation or willingness to give just a little so that our little slice of the state can decide on our own whether or not we want improved transit.

Tonight is still open. My wife says I need to clean up the house a little, but otherwise, we are ready and willing to host once again for the sake of moving the needle.