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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowConstruction of the Nickel Plate Trail in Fishers isn’t likely to begin until spring 2020, Mayor Scott Fadness told IBJ on Wednesday.
The city had hoped to begin construction this fall, but leaders are still finalizing designs for the tunnel at 116th Street and considering related development plans for amenities along the trail.
The project, originally announced in February 2017, will convert the Nickel Plate Railroad line into a recreational trail from 96th Street in Fishers to Pleasant Street in Noblesville.
Last year, the city of Fishers approved a property tax increase to help generate funding for the project and announced it planned to begin construction of the first phase of the trail from 106th Street to 126th Street this fall.
The railroad tracks in Fishers have already been removed to facilitate the project.
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This can’t happen fast enough. Especially when it goes south and connects to the Monon at 38th St. Game changer for Cyclists wanting to safely commute downtown.
And about how many cyclists will that be? Lol
Can we at least remove the stop signs where roads cross the trackless railroad?
Yes, couldn’t agree more!
PLEASE remove the stop signs!
For the last several weeks I simply go straight through the stop signs…rarely letting my foot off the gas.
Looks like bikes (two per day) won the battle over improved mass transit. More cars on 69.
Trails are the single best way to connect communities and provide the infrastructure for development. Have you people not seen all the great venues up and down the Monon from Broad Ripple to Westfield. The completion of the Midland Trace Trail is a great start for Noblesville but the Nickel Plate will be off the charts.
Single best? How about third best. Roads, rails, then trails are a distant third. And that’s only if you’re talking about communities that are relatively close.
Who walks from Broad Ripple to Westfield? Very, very few. Most do short recreational (and not commuter) stints on the trail from Nora to Broad Ripple or downtown Carmel up to Bubs. Any trail in Noblesville will mostly be people walking or biking from from South Noblesville to downtown and back, vice versa if South Noblesville ever develops as a destination
Bikers admittedly go further, but not as commuters Indiana, generally. It’s ludicrous to think a walking/biking trail in Indiana will be a commuter trail to more than a very hardy and rugged handful of people that don’t mind showing up to work tired and sweaty. Or frozen or wet.
This is typical government. They push their pet projects through, raise taxes, delay start of project and don’t do simple things like removing stop signs. Hard to get excited about Mr. Fadness pet project that was jammed down our throats and then told taxpayers they were going to pay for said project.
First of all Marion Co has no immediate plans to fund or plan a trail. Secondly i laugh at “Game changer for Cyclists wanting to safely commute downtown.” Take a step back into reality for a sec, if “lets just say” there are enough “Cyclists wanting to safely commute downtown.” to justify the cost ($30-$50million?? they don’t know the cost yet), how many days is that a realistic vision. Take away all days below 50 or above 80degrees, raining, snowing, icy, excessively windy, or dark in the morning or evening commute time (most trails have dawn to dusk hours) and how many days will be suitable for “Cyclists wanting to safely commute downtown.” ??? I’m not going to answer that with a number, but do the math, I would guesstimate around 2/3rds of the time weather conditions not “comfortable” or safe for “Cyclists wanting to safely commute downtown”.
Actually the same conditions apply to recreational users of the trail as well. A true Fadness Fallacy from the beginning. Follow the $
Who is going to commute in Indiana from Noblesville to Indianapolis on a walking/bike trail? Let alone to Fishers? Answer: no one.
Think Indiana weather, if nothing else.
How often do you walk or ride your bike any significant distance in Indiana winters, not to mention hot, humid or rainy days?
Meanwhile, we are giving up valuable light rail real estate that will be nearly impossible to re-create or re-claim in the future.
This walking trail is incredibly short-sighted. Put a walking/biking trail along the river or elsewhere. Keep the valuable rail line for future use.
We’re adding 100s of millions of $ to our future light rail projects with this boondoggle