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The process for designing and upgrading interstates in Indiana hasn’t exactly been a two-way street. Typically, the Indiana Department of Transportation draws up plans for its projects and then the public has an opportunity to provide feedback. You’ll recall the uproar in 2017 when INDOT presented its plans for reconstructing the North Split, where I-70 and I-65 meet in the northeast corner of downtown. Nearby residents were vehemently against some elements of the project and proposed a fundamentally different alternative. INDOT was able to accommodate the Rethink 65/70 Coalition’s concerns on some aspects of the project, but it proceeded largely as originally proposed.
As the state now begins to plan for future upgrades to other portions of I-65 and I-70 that run through Indianapolis, it’s conducting a long-term study to get public input on the front end of the process. Piloted in part with the infrastructure firm HNTB, the ProPEL Indy study is collecting public input in a wide variety of venues to identify ideas for improvements that would impact quality of life, economic growth, mobility, and safety.
In this week’s episode of the IBJ Podcast, we’re joined by Tim Miller, senior project manager for HNTB and the project manager for the ProPEL Indy study, as well as Natalie Garrett, communications director for INDOT. In addition to discussing the process so far, they share some of the ideas they’ve already received, related to signage, the locations of interchanges, pedestrian right of way and the way these corridors represent—or fail to represent—the city as a whole.
Click here to find the IBJ Podcast each Monday. You can also subscribe at iTunes, Google Play, Tune In, Spotify and anyplace you find podcasts.
You can also listen to these recent episodes:
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IBJ Podcast: Farming challenges mount as Indiana gets hotter and wetter, but crops will have staying power
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IBJ Podcast: List of most influential Hoosiers contains dozen of new names
Looking for another podcast to try? Check out IBJ’s The Freedom Forum with Angela B. Freeman, a monthly discussion about diversity and inclusion in central Indiana’s business community.
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It would be hard to do anything worse than what we have now, even includes bulldozing the freeways would help long-term.
Clearly, not all options are on the table. And adding a sign is not a “bold” design idea.
Since replacing the downtown Interstates with a boulevard is not on the table for INDOT – and they refuse to consider such a proposal – Indy is still going to be stuck with a scar on its downtown.
If replacing the Interstates isn’t a bold idea worth considering, then why did the IBJ highlight it as one of the 40 great ideas for Indy, in their 40th anniversary issue.
https://www.ibj.com/articles/40th-ideas-replace-downtown-freeways-with-boulevards
You can also see the proposal for yourself on Facebook @BlvdProjectIndy
INDOT’s #1 priority is traffic management. It always will be. It’s not the economy, environment, or quality of life. And Indianapolis is, and will be, worse off for it.