New flyover bridge construction over I-69 (image credit: Curt Ailes)

Last week, INDOT commenced work on I-69 at the interchange with state road 37 and 116th street, on Indianapolis’ NE side. According to INDOT’s page on the project, work is being conducted,

“To alleviate the existing bottleneck at the I-69 interchange at 116th Street/State Road 37 (SR 37), the current design will be reconfigured.”

 The work will obstruct traffic flow for the 2012 & 2013 construction season. At first read, this project is much cheaper and less invasive than the previously proposed $500 million reconfiguration of the entire stretch of 69 from 465 north to Exit 5. However, this appears to be more business as usual for INDOT. Indeed, the passage above illustrates that this work will alleviate the existing bottleneck.

The bigger question though should be, what will INDOT do when the new interchange design becomes obsolete and congested? History has shown us that freeway expansion induces more travel along newly added capacity. Indeed, that is why this project is taking place. Managing highway congestion with lane widening and addition never truly solves the demand side of the equation. In addition to this work, the Town of Fishers, who will be the direct beneficiary of the newly added capacity, has a program appropriately named, Drive Fishers, that aims to add capacity and streamline traffic flow; a number of the program’s focused improvements occur on 37, just north of where th I-69 project is being undertaken.

As a whole, these projects will add traffic capacity and speed vehicles to their suburban destinations much quicker than they do today. That can be seen as a plus when viewed through the lens of an automobile driver. However, as a pedestrian, cyclist or alternative transportation advocates, it should be viewed as a detriment to healthy lifestyles. History also shows that new road expansion will lead to new development and with this corridor being nearly all automobile focused, expect more automobile dealerships, fast food restaurants and other associated automobile based commercial outlets. The lone pedestrian project being undertaken, is the 126th street multi-use trail project which accompanies the divided highway expansion from 2 to 4 lanes of 126th street.

Operation Indy Commute Map

Sadly, the NE Corridor project which parallels this stretch of road, is still stuck in neutral thanks to inaction at the state level over the requested authority to establish a Regional Transit Authority (RTA) and levy taxes for the regional transit system advocated by Indy Connect. It would have been a welcome gesture by the Town of Fishers and INDOT if the money being spent on traffic flow and capacity improvements had instead been spent on bringing regional transit to fruition and reducing further dependence on automobile commuting for residents on the NE side of Indy.

1.  Golf.  I play golf.  Not very often, but I grew up playing the game, and I still enjoy hitting the links about 5-6 times a year.  I also am a fan of disc golf, which is probably more acceptable in urbanist circles.

2.  Road Trips or other vacations.  I have traveled relatively extensively, mostly by car or plane, which of course are not very good for greenhouse gas emissions.  Of course, if I had the option of taking fast trains everywhere, I probably would do that.

3.  Short trips by car.  Having a child has meant that I choose to drive more often in short distances, because carrying all of the stuff that my daughter needs can get heavy.   Somewhere, Chris Barnett is saying “I told you so” on this one.

4. Free parking and toll avoidance.   I try to avoid paying for parking and tolls whenever possible.  Actually, this is where having a child has almost helped me become less hypocritical, as the spots that are closer are also often the ones where there is a fee.

I’d love to hear of any other confessions out there.   I’m sure there are some good ones.

May 2012 Wallpaper (image credit: Curt Ailes)

Here is May’s wallpaper brought to you from Mass Ave. Hope you enjoy! 2560 x 1600,1280 x 853, 1280 x 1024, 1366 x 768

According to the article in the Indianapolis Star, the first phase will take place on the 5 blocks between Irvington and Bolton Avenues, which could also be considered Downtown Irvington:

The second phase will be focused on the western portion of Irvington:

I am quite excited about the prospect of strolling down Washington Street in Irvington after this project has been completed.  Irvington is perhaps our city’s most bucolic neighborhood, and it deserves a great Main Street.

This house is not tiny.  Additionally, it is almost a guarantee that it is constructed with better materials than what it would be replaced with.  Here is the rendering and siteplan of the proposed house:

The city planning staff is recommending approval for this application.

It is good to know that people continue to want to raise families in Meridian Kessler.  However, I do think it is a shame to lose these individual links to our city’s history.  Mary Owens is pushing for Meridian Kessler to become a conservation district to offer some protections for the older buildings.  I am curious as to the thoughts of the readers of this blog on this issue.

All of the buildings in the north of the aerial have been demolished, and work has either been completed or are near completion on the complex:

I found it interesting that they use the same lights from the Cultural Trail to illuminate the rooftop deck:

This last building farthest to the north has a curved frontage.  It is probably in a more finished state today.

I also walked a block to the north to this city’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.  I find this sculpture of Dr. King and Robert Kennedy to be intriguing.

There’s a plaque of the speech that Mr. Kennedy gave the night of Dr. King’s death, which has to be one of the greatest speeches in the 20th century:

Finally, across from the 16 Park development, there is an old school that is being renovated.  I’m not sure of the purpose, but it appears to be for a non-profit organization.  Please mention in the comments if you are aware of this development:

Cleveland BRT at Station (image credit: Graeme Sharpe)

As Urban Indy reported back in October, Indianapolis received a $2 million grant to begin study of both of these corridors. This document is the first step towards defining the study area, possible alignments, vehicles, stations and other required infrastructure. The document also covers operating parameters, overheads and the financial requirements of the service. To be clear, this document is a guide only. It will guide the study which is part of the requirements for obtaining federal funding for such a project. It should be note that no decisions have been made and these are simply educated selections that make sense for the potential project.

BRT System (image source: Indianapolis MPO Study)

However, from a transit geek’s perspective, this is the first step to answering a lot of the questions we have asked at this site. What will the service look like? Where will stops be located? Will there be dedicated lanes? This document attempts to outline some of these questions that will be answered in the coming Alternatives Analysis (AA). The AA will define the best answers to these questions and those will be answered, ultimately, by the Indianapolis Regional Transportation Council with a lot of input from citizens and other elected officials.

Cleveland BRT Station

Some of the coolest parts of the document are the possible stations which create many talking points. As you can see from the maps, station locations have been proposed at periodic points along the routes. Most are located near existing job/activity centers. While thestudy covers all of the BRT routes called for in the Indy Connect plan, the grant money is solely for studying N/S & E/W routes. It is those corridors that I wish to focus on with the remainder of this post.

2008 Indianapolis Jobs (Possible LRT and commuter routes shown)

First and foremost, I am pleased to see that the study examines a N/S alignment that travels from downtown to Broad Ripple. The proposed route closely resembles one that I have pointed out in the past in my lobbying for light rail (see map above for proposed LRT route vs job centers). The line would serve dense job, population and activity centers and create a valid rapid-transit alternative to the automobile. The southern portion of the line would travel along Madison Ave to the University of Indianapolis. Unfortunately, it would miss the heart of Fountain Square.

Possible N/S Corridor stops - multiple phases shown (image credit: Indy MPO)

The E/W alignment, along Washington Street, would also serve what is today’s most frequented Indy Go bus line, the #8. It would provide service through the heart of the city and provide frequent service to Irvington, downtown and the airport. These are all key job and activity centers.

Possible E/W Corridor stops - multiple phases shown (image credit: Indy MPO)

Design of these routes is also considered in this document. Federally funded programs stipulate that a significant portion of each route must contain “bus only” lanes. This answers some of our previously asked questions about dedicated lanes. However, the study points out the difficulty of this in some areas of the proposed routes. Managing frequent service in these areas will likely be a key metric of success once service is in place. Federal programs also stipulate that the  buses must be branded differently than normal buses which for transit riders, will represent a new look most likely in the form of articulated buses with special paint.

Possible IUPUI Circulator stops (image credit: Indy MPO)

Downtown circulators are also covered and would come online at the same time as phase 1 of the N/S & E/W routes. These routes are laid out as indicated on the map above and indeed, they would provide significant benefit for people who live, work or attend school downtown. These BRT circulators would serve IUPUI, Lilly and interface with the proposed NE Corridor commuter rail line which is also currently working it’s way through the EIS process. However, if federally funded, how would dedicated bus lanes in the tight confines of downtown work out? The document does not elaborate on those routes.

Possible 16th St to Downtown Circulator stops (image credit: Indy MPO)

These questions, and many more, remain to be answered by the Alternatives Analysis that is set to begin study this year. Upon completion of the analysis, we will have a much more firm timeline on implementation and exactly how each service will operate, where it will operate and what the vehicles will look like. A couple final notes to remember. The timeline in the report does not take into consideration that a state transit funding bill was not passed. The routes proposed in the report are also simply that, proposed. The goal of an Alternatives Analysis is to define the best routes.

While comprehensive planning for the Fall Creek Trail route from the White River in downtown to Skiles Test Nature Park in the northeast was completed in 1999, this segment has languished without funding as other easier-to-construct segments were built first. At long last, in July 2011, Indianapolis received a $1M Federal Transportation Enhancement grant for construction of this segment. In November 2011, it was amended into the Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization 2012-2015 Regional Transportation Improvement Program, with a $250k local funding match. As of January 2012, it is officially in the City of Indianapolis RebuildIndy Planned Projects list with an anticipated construction start date of 10/1/12.

NOTE: Route approximate. View Fall Creek Trail Extension 2012 in a larger map

When this segment is completed, the only segment of the original plan left to construct is from Meridian St. southwest to Indiana Ave. This zone offers the possibility of connectivity with both the Central Canal Towpath and the White River Trail, but it also presents many design challenges, most prominently how to navigate the zone around the canal aqueduct over the Fall Creek. The aqueduct is owned by Citizens Water and represents both a source of drinking water and a potential security risk. Time will tell what form this segment takes but hopefully it will happen sooner rather than later and we can enjoy this essential cog in the city’s trails plan.

I continue to think this city is getting better by the day.  I’m happy to be a tiny part of the culture that strives to make Indianapolis a better place to live.  Special thanks goes to my wife and all of the other bloggers at Urban Indy, without whom this blog might not have made the 5-year anniversary.

Urban Indy bloggers will be meeting tonight to celebrate the occasion at the “Ann, Dancing” sculpture at the corner of Massachusetts Avenue and Vermont Street at 7:30.  We’re meeting there, in part because the Cultural Trail is amazing, but also because the 6th post on this site happened to be about the start of construction of the trail.  Join us, as I’m sure there will be a beverage or 2 consumed afterwards.

Nixed by the Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission (IHPC).

A gas station proposed in Herron Morton Place Historic District at the corner of 16th St. and Central Ave.?

Passed by IHPC, but neighbors sue the developer to block construction (case pending).

Gas station proposals in protected historical neighborhoods have not fared well recently. Nevertheless, another developer is proposing one in Fountain Square Historic District at 1015 Virginia Ave. Not only is this site in a protected neighborhood, it’s directly adjacent to the recently-completed Southeast Corridor of the Cultural Trail. Needless to say, the developer faces an uphill battle with this one. It would be quite a slap in the face for the city to spend 10′s of millions of dollars on a world-class piece of cycling and pedestrian infrastructure only to have one of the unholiest forms of vehicle infrastructure built directly adjacent to the trail.

A city zoning map showing the subject site in white dashes at center.

The developer has filed with the city for a “Variance of development standards of the Commercial Zoning Ordinance to provide for the construction of a two-story, 9,290-square foot convenience store / gasoline station and office.” The IHPC case for this project was heard on April 4th and continued to May 2nd. A separate case before the MDC Hearing Examiner is set for April 12th, but will likewise be continued to May 10th to “allow for the anticipated revision of proposed development plans.” No siteplan or renderings have been released as of yet, but you’ll see them as soon as we can get them.