Ben Easley enjoys cruising on trails that weave through Indianapolis and even into Hamilton County. But he often pumps the brakes around the south side because he says there are hardly any safe areas to bike past Garfield Park.
Easley said he doesn’t begrudge the city’s other trail systems, but he wants more paths on the south side.
“I can ride my bike to Garfield Park,” said Easley, who lives in Beech Grove, “but not everybody on the south side can at this point. Certainly they can’t do it safely.”
That’s why Easley leads Southside United for Indianapolis Trails. The neighborhood organization began last fall to advocate for more trails and safer infrastructure south of Raymond Street, a dividing line between the north and south of Marion County.
The group wants to support existing efforts from local governments, Easley said, and plans to apply for grants, too. The efforts are backed by several community leaders on the south side, including Southport Mayor Jim Cooney, Beech Grove Mayor Jim Coffman and Decatur Township Trustee Jason Holliday.
Together, they hope to provide more accessibility to bicyclists and pedestrians on the south side.
Center Township has more than three times the amount of trail miles that the three southern townships have combined, according to Department of Public Works and state data.
“I would like to see the regular level of investment down in our area to even just build out what doesn’t currently exist,” Easley said.
The group also wants to make it safer for people who use trails.
In February, a cyclist died after being struck by a driver along Raymond Street. And just two months later, a 4-year-old was riding in a trailer attached to his father’s bicycle when a driver crashed into them, killing the child and critically injuring the father.
Madison Avenue is an example of some of the reconstruction taking place to address cycling and pedestrian safety on the south side. Mayor Joe Hogsett’s administration is also pursuing a Vision Zero strategy to end serious traffic injuries and fatalities.
But Tony Cherolis, the executive director of Central Indiana Cycling, said a lack of community support is one reason the south side has failed to make progress sooner.
“If a locality, local city-county council member or local property owners are not supportive, they can definitely grind progress to a halt for greenways and cycle tracks or multi-use trails,” Cherolis said.
But he thinks Southside United for Indianapolis Trails could change things.
Bumps in the road
Nearly 100 years ago, much of the south side wasn’t part of the Indianapolis city limits.
The area didn’t have the same level of planning compared to other areas of Marion County, and that’s one of the reasons there are fewer trails, according to Daniel Hedglin, DPW’s senior project manager for trails and greenways.
Cherolis said construction of the Interurban Trail, a bike route based on a retired commuter rail line on the south side, is an example of already established trail infrastructure.
There have been other efforts to expand pedestrian and cyclist paths on the south side. Some of Marion County’s incorporated cities, which have budgets separate from Indianapolis, have made headway expanding trail access with the construction of the 2.2 mile-long Franciscan Trail.
Indianapolis’ 2014 Greenways plan also outlined a 10-year development strategy for multiple trail corridors. Many trails are under construction but aren’t completed.
The city’s Greenways plan shows that the city planned to create a 3-mile greenway along Little Buck Creek which would run east to west through Perry and Decatur Townships. A nearly 5-mile White River Trail aims to connect multiple smaller trails, such as Little Buck Creek. Sections of both of the trails have been completed, but other aspects of the plan are still “proposed,” according to DPW.
Funding cuts have also put spokes in the city’s wheels. Under former Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, the administration’s Next Level Trail grants provided over $180 million for trail infrastructure across the state. But Gov. Mike Braun and state lawmakers slashed the funding during this year’s legislative session to help plug a $2 billion budget shortfall.
“We used to receive rounds of funding, often through the Next Level Trails funding through the state, which is now defunct, (and) not in the state’s current plans,” said Kyle Bloyd, DPW spokesman.
Bloyd said staff often pursue outside private philanthropy funds. Southside United for Indianapolis Trails hopes to support the city’s funding efforts.
“We want to be the biggest champions for DPW and the work that they are doing to get this done,” said Easley, who previously worked for the department. “We don’t want to do it ourselves, we want to be a support for what they are doing.”
The organization also plans to apply for infrastructure and tactical urbanism grants, such as an AARP program that would fund pedestrian and trail projects that are beneficial to people in retirement age.
Pedaling forward
There are a few ways to get involved with Southside United for Indianapolis Trails.
Community members can attend the organization’s first community bike ride at 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 5, beginning at St. Andrew United Methodist Church, 2560 Villa Ave., and ending at Villa Baptist Church, 2650 Villa Ave., near Bean Creek. Registration is encouraged but not required.
The group also hosts monthly meetings with guest speakers at 6 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at Beech Grove City Hall, 806 Main St.
Beech Grove Mayor Jim Coffman will be the speaker for the next meeting on Aug. 12.
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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 Facebook at Elizabeth Gabriel, Southside Reporter and on X at @_elizabethgabs.
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