A temporary reconfiguration of a busy southside intersection near Garfield Park is a joint project between the city and neighborhood groups to help keep pedestrians and cyclists safe.
Often called tactical urbanism, such projects utilize low-cost traffic barricades to temporarily test ways to slow traffic or provide safe pathways for pedestrians and cyclists. Many Marion County projects have been installed near greenways, but few of those paths are on the south side. The work on East Troy Avenue near the intersection of Shelby Street is the city’s southernmost traffic calming project to date.
The city hopes to open applications for new projects in July.
Debbie Conway, the president of the Bean Creek Neighborhood Association near Garfield Park, said the work there will make it safer for neighbors. She said about 30% of students who attend Adelante Schools at Emma Donnan Elementary and Middle School are walkers. But their pathway is dangerous because of the lack of sidewalks.
“Our students that do walk only have one crosswalk that is manned by a crossing guard,” Conway said. “So the situation is not safe for our student walkers or bicycle riders.”
Ben Easley is with Southside United for Indianapolis Trails, which works to improve Marion County’s trail connectivity south of Raymond Street. He said the lack of trail infrastructure could be one reason it’s difficult to address unsafe traffic.
On top of that, a section of the road converts from two lanes to four, which Easley believes was done to support nearby manufacturing businesses. But the wide road can make it tempting for drivers to speed.
Recently, water-filled barriers were added on the south side of the street, where East Troy Avenue narrows from four lanes to three. The project was a joint effort of residents with Southside United for Indianapolis Trails, Bean Creek Neighborhood Association, Garfield Park Neighborhood Association and the city. The changes also create a designated path for pedestrians and cyclists since sections of the sidewalk don’t connect to each other.
Before the barriers were installed, Conway collected speed counts that showed some drivers were traveling roughly 10 mph over the speed limit. She plans to collect speed data roughly twice a week while the project is installed, and already, she said there’s been a roughly 5 mph reduction in traffic speeds.
Implementing tactical urbanism projects
The city has worked with other community groups to install and track these safety initiatives for about three years. During that time, roughly a dozen tactical urbanism projects have been installed across the county, with about 18 more scheduled this year.
This is the southern most project to date, yet it’s still located in Center Township.
Chris Davner, the city’s project manager for strategy and technology for the Department of Public Works, said the small number of southside projects could be related to a lack of community knowledge and interest about the program and limited infrastructure. But Davner has tried to reduce barriers for new applicants.
“You don’t have to be an engineer to fill out this application. Fill it out to the best of your ability,” Davner said. “We work together with the community group to come up with a meaningful project that addresses the issues that they’re wanting to.”
Davner said the price tag for these projects depends on how much a neighborhood wants to do. Overall, she said implementing them costs around $5,000 maximum, but communities can apply for different funding sources to reduce their plan to little or no money.
Residents also can use the city’s lending library through the Department of Public Works, which allows neighbors to borrow items for free, such as traffic cones, parking stops and speed guns. Groups must transport the materials themselves, but the city can pay for part of those costs.
Tactical urbanism projects in Marion County
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Additionally, the city has $30,000 allocated for its 50/50 cost-share program this year, but Davner said she’s worried about future funding.
“We are coming to a point where we’re getting so many applications that we are having to be mindful of the budget when we’re going through this process,” Davner said. “We’re having discussions on what we should look at doing next year to make sure that we can continue that cost share.”
What’s next
Southside United for Indianapolis Trails was able to fund the project after it was awarded a $10,000 grant from Health By Design, which works to bolster transit statewide. The funds also allow the group to host a bike readiness program this fall for Adelante Schools at Emma Donnan by leading a bike-to-school event, installing bike racks and distributing 150 helmets to students.
The East Troy Avenue tactical urbanism project will be in place until November. The city’s Department of Public Works will use the speed data neighbors collect to consider implementing semi-permanent pedestrian safety measures based on the results of the project.
Neighborhood groups can apply for the city’s tactical urbanism grants from July to August.
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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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