Neighborhoods can lead the way on Indianapolis safety projects
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Mayor Joe Hogsett announced the next round of projects Thursday. Photo: Arika Herron/Axios
Indianapolis is taking new applications for community-led traffic calming projects.
Why it matters: Indy is experiencing what advocates and city officials agree is a pedestrian safety crisis that's killed more than 100 pedestrians and cyclists since the start of 2022.
Driving the news: The city announced six new projects Thursday, totaling $2.5 million in investment, and put out a call for more neighborhoods to apply to partner on future projects, which can include everything from new sidewalks to street murals to tactical urbanism initiatives.
Zoom in: This year's projects include sidewalk rehabilitation in the Greenbriar neighborhood, new sidewalks and a pedestrian crossing at CFI School 70, bus stop improvements, sidewalk improvements and road repair at the International District Community Center, road improvements in Meridian Hills and crosswalk enhancements around the IU Indianapolis campus.
- The application for the next round is open through Aug. 30.
What they're saying: "Even seemingly small projects can have an outsized impact for neighbors," said Mayor Joe Hogsett. "And I dare say no one knows our neighborhoods better than the neighbors themselves."
Catch up quick: Last year, the city merged several separate programs — the Indianapolis Neighborhood Infrastructure Partnership, tactical urbanism policy and the art in the right-of-way policy — into the Community Powered Infrastructure program, with all projects now eligible to receive matching funds from the city.
- City officials say the goal is lowering the cost for communities to make the programs more accessible.
How it works: Neighborhoods need a community-based organization to sponsor the project.
- Successful applicants receive a 50-50 match from the city, capped at $10,000 for tactical urbansim and art in the right of way projects and $500,000 for neighborhood infrastructure.
- Neighborhoods can also now apply to borrow barriers, bollards, speed humps and other materials for tactical urbanism projects from the city's new "lending library."
What's next: City officials are preparing next year's budget requests, which will include several pedestrian safety capital investments.
- DPW director Brandon Herget said improvements to 10th Street, informed by the successful Community Heights tactical urbanism experiment last summer, will be in his department's request.
- DPW is also looking to secure funding for a Monon Trail bridge over busy 86th Street.