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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe city of Indianapolis on Tuesday announced it would reopen segments of Broad Ripple Avenue and Massachusetts Avenue that were closed in May as part of the Dine Out Indy initiative.
The closures would end following Labor Day weekend, the city said.
Massachusetts Avenue has been closed from its intersection with College Avenue to its intersection with New York and Delaware streets.
Broad Ripple Avenue has been closed from College Avenue to Monon Trail.
Meanwhile, the temporary pedestrian corridor along Georgia Street between Pennsylvania and Meridian streets, which has no on-street parking spaces, will continue to be closed to vehicular traffic.
The Dine Out Indy program was launched to create more outdoor dining space for restaurants during the pandemic and to create bigger thoroughfares for pedestrians to social distance.
The city announced Tuesday that barriers will be removed from Broad Ripple Avenue on Sept. 8. They’ll come down on Mass Ave. later in the week as schedules allow.
While motorists will be allowed to travel in both directions on those streets, businesses will continue to be able to offer expanded outdoor seating in parking spaces adjacent to their buildings. The seating will be protected by concrete barriers.
Restaurants on Broad Ripple and Massachusetts avenues that have been participating in Dine Out Indy need to inform the city by Sept. 4 if they want to continue utilizing permitted parking spaces for outdoor dining. The Department of Public Works will cover the costs of the spaces through Nov. 30.
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I really enjoyed having these streets closed to motor vehicles and so did many of my friends. It was great being able to see all the foot traffic without being crowded into the narrow sidewalks. Hopefully this can evolve into a summer streets type of situation!
Thank God! This has been a real drag on business on Mass Ave, at least up in the 600 and 700 blocks where typically you only see a stray person or 2 using the street at any given time. To be frank its been very depressing to see Mass Ave so vacant. Mass Ave is a commercial district, not a linear park- we already have the cultural trail for those wishing to bike or walk without encountering cars.
At first I questioned the success by closing off the streets was going to be, but it has been an amazing win for the city! It has been great seeing the crowds on Mass avenue without overcrowding. Also it has been good not seeing cars congested down the street with nowhere to go. It works and we will hopefully see more of it in the future!!!
Agreed. I think, if it were permanent, we would see more success. Restaurants would invest in decorative barriers instead of the construction concrete blocks. Valet stands would pop up at intersections. And the traffic lights could be adjusted.
Mass Ave in 2019 was basically just a parking lot anyways. Completely inefficient use of space.
Well, the cars had to go somewhere, especially in Broad Ripple where they would congest residential streets, increase traffic on Kessler Blvd and other streets. Tried to contact Passwater Body Shop, and they are closed, not surprising.
The only people who think “it works” and “its been a amazing win” are those who don’t run businesses on either street. It’s been an unmitigated disaster business wise and if it continued you would see a lot of business closures
The lovely barricades among the boarded up businesses on these streets remind me of springtime in Baghdad.
Oh how I long for the bombed out cafes and rubble.
Thank you Mayor Joe for reminding me of the sights and smells of a war torn city. Keep Indy unBeautiful.