Editor’s note: This article has been updated to clarify that Patachou Inc., which operates Cafe Patachou and Napolese Pizzeria, is not opposed to adding two-way bike lanes to Pennsylvania Street.
A dispute over bike lanes in Meridian-Kessler shows the challenges that bicycling and pedestrian safety advocates face in trying to achieve their vision for Indianapolis.
After complaints from residents and business owners, the city is considering whether to scale back its original plans for two-way protected bike lanes along a 1.5-mile stretch of Pennsylvania Street, from 46th Street to Westfield Boulevard.
The original project would have required the removal of on-street parking along the west side of the road. That drew concerns from business owners at 49th and Pennsylvania streets, neighborhood advocates said. Businesses in the area include Sullivan Hardware & Garden, Napolese Pizzeria and Cafe Patachou, which enjoys a busy brunch crowd.
A spokesperson for Patachou Inc., which operates Cafe Patachou and Napolese Pizzeria, told Mirror Indy that it did not speak out against the project and that it applauds “any and all efforts” to make the city more bike-friendly and safer for cyclists.
“I completely understand both sides of the coin here, but our position was to try to advocate for a common sense compromise,” said Emma Clust, president of the Meridian-Kessler Neighborhood Association. “I think both sides had to make some allowances to try to meet in the middle.”
But not everyone sees it that way.
Eric Holt, a leading voice for street safety, said the concession amounts to the city choosing driver convenience over safety. Holt said he’s been approached by multiple people concerned about the project, and one Meridian-Kessler resident told Mirror Indy they were frustrated that the bike lanes may be eliminated.
“Convenient parking just can’t be something that we let get in the way of protecting vulnerable road users,” said Holt, who documents pedestrian and cyclist injuries and deaths at Indy Pedestrian Safety Crisis.
Neighborhood feedback leads to new plan
Clust and several residents who spoke with Mirror Indy said Indy DPW failed to properly communicate the project to the neighborhood, contributing to the backlash.
One neighbor said that cyclists hardly use this calm stretch of Pennsylvania Street, while another said that drivers in the neighborhood are already conscientious of cyclists.
After Clust learned more about the project, she and others expressed their reservations to Indy DPW, which then held two community meetings.
Get the backstory
That led to a compromise.
A revised plan from DPW would install bike lane markings, parking indicators and other signage at intersections but use shared lanes — or “sharrows” — for the spaces in between.
City-County Councilor John Barth, a Democrat whose district includes parts of Meridian-Kessler, said the new proposal maintains safety measures for cyclists while keeping intact decades-old agreements that allow local businesses to use on-street parking.
“What we’re working on is a reasonable compromise that continues to focus on safety,” Barth said, “but is a more modest treatment or more moderate treatment for a bike lane.”
But what Barth considers a common sense solution, others consider to be a betrayal of trust. After all, Barth led the charge for the city to adopt a Vision Zero ordinance, a blueprint for road safety that aims to eliminate traffic deaths.
“It just comes across as really hypocritical to then be quietly, behind the scenes, killing a protected bike lane project in his district,” said Holt with Indy Pedestrian Safety Crisis.
Data tracked by Holt shows continuing year-over-year increases in incidents involving pedestrians and bicyclists. A total of 90 incidents were reported in September, a 23% increase over the previous year and the second highest number of monthly reported incidents tracked by the advocacy organization since it began in May 2022.
Barth pushes back against critics
Barth disagrees that he’s turning his back on advocates. He says the changes he’s proposing will be meaningful and in line with VIsion Zero.
“When you’re in the advocacy space, you have the ability to pursue perfect while accepting good, better and best,” Barth said, “but when you have the accountability of being elected, you need to listen carefully to all your constituents, and in this case, come up with the best approach that works for the most people.”
An Indy DPW spokesperson said the city is continuing to work with neighborhood leaders on a final design plan, which is expected to be made public in the coming weeks.
Peter Blanchard covers local government. Reach him at 317-605-4836 or peter.blanchard@mirrorindy.org. Follow him on X @peterlblanchard.
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