Kristen Tjaden enjoys walking her dog, Buddy, to make sure he gets enough exercise. But safe walking paths are limited in the South Village Neighborhood.
“The south side does not have as many sidewalks as other places in the city, and that’s probably not going to change,” Tjaden said. Southside communities also have fewer trail miles compared to other areas of Marion County.
“So it would be really nice to have a safer, dedicated place to walk my dog and be connected to other places in the city,” she said.
That’s why Tjaden was elated when in 2021 the city approved funding to complete the Pleasant Run Greenway project — a roughly $9 million plan to construct 10-foot wide multi-use asphalt trail segments on sections of Pleasant Run Parkway. The project also would connect the trail to paths that lead east and south.
The project is one of multiple trails and greenways that will be developed as part of Mayor Joe Hogsett’s Circle City Forward Initiative to improve neighborhoods. When it was announced, city officials said construction would begin in 2023, but it still hasn’t started.
In October, Tjaden reached out to her City-County Councilor, Kristin Jones.
In response, Jones, chair of the council’s public works committee, said the project had run into funding issues.
“Pleasant Run delay is due to DPW using the allocated funding for projects not identified in the (Circle City Forward Initiative) program,” Jones said in an email to residents. The city told Mirror Indy that funding for Pleasant Run Greenway was reallocated for the Southeastern Avenue Multi-Use Path and other projects.
Now Jones said construction won’t begin until late 2026, if not later.
Jones declined multiple interview requests with Mirror Indy. In a statement, Jones said she will make sure DPW sees the project through.
“Construction projects can often face delays that understandably cause frustration, and I want to sincerely thank neighbors for their patience throughout this process,” Jones wrote, in part. “We should have been more proactive in communicating this delay, and I take that feedback seriously.”
Unexpected inflation
Kyle Bloyd, public works spokesperson, told Mirror Indy that the project was delayed due to multiple factors. He said the department typically takes four to five years before the construction phase begins, so the initial timeline was “probably a pretty aggressive time frame.”
Additionally, Bloyd said inflation increased faster than anticipated, meaning the project now costs more than they had estimated. Plus, the city expanded the project scope in 2024 to include upgrades for two pedestrian bridges, which required additional funding and permitting.
That’s caused DPW to make tough decisions, such as prioritizing upgrades for the Southeastern Avenue Multi-Use Path and other trail and greenway projects that weren’t originally outlined.
“As Indy DPW moved forward with implementing this funding package, project timelines and scopes needed to be modified at times to align with updated cost information while also allowing other greenways plan priorities to move forward,” Bloyd said in an emailed statement.
Although some of Tjaden’s questions were answered, she doesn’t know if the city will stick to its new timeline, or how long she will have to wait before she’s able to safely walk around her neighborhood.
“There should be a process to keep people informed who are living so close to where this project would be,” Tjaden said. “It shouldn’t take so much work to get an answer.”
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Mirror Indy reporter Elizabeth Gabriel covers the south side of Marion County. Contact her at elizabeth.gabriel@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X at @_elizabethgabs.
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