Compiled by Nicole Davis
- Fountain Square: Citizens Energy Group closed a segment of Churchman Avenue on Oct. 2. The impacted segment—between the North and South drives of E. Pleasant Run Parkway—will allow for two coordinated projects: a utility line relocation and an excavation associated with the DigIndy program. The first phase will last approximately one week. Motorists and cyclists may detour around the closure via Minnesota Street, State Avenue, and Prospect Street. The Pleasant Run Trail will be unimpeded during both this and subsequent project phases. A second phase of construction is anticipated to begin on or after Monday, Oct. 9 and last for up to six weeks, keeping the same portion of Churchman Avenue closed and additionally impacting a small segment of E Pleasant Run Parkway S Drive located immediately to the east. Travelers may continue using the same detour routes from the first phase, or they may choose to detour using a tighter route via Villa Avenue and Pleasant Run Parkway N Drive.
- Fountain Square: Drainage Work is coming to Shelby St. in 2025. Public information sessions are scheduled for Oct. 19, from 6-8 p.m. at Calvary Tabernacle.
- I-69 Johnson County: The southbound ramps to and from Smith Valley Road are open. Northbound ramps will open in late 2023. The northbound detour is Bluffdale Road between Smith Valley Road and County Line Road.
October is National Pedestrian Safety Month
Mayor Joe Hogsett proclaimed October as Pedestrian Safety Month in Indianapolis as part of a national campaign led by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). During the month of October, Mayor Hogsett has directed City agencies to launch a pedestrian safety awareness campaign, conduct educational traffic enforcement in school zones, and continue to deliver infrastructure improvements that increase safety for all road users.
“As part of our $1.2 billion capital plan, we’re continuing to make investments that improve safety for all on our roadways, but especially vulnerable users such as bicyclists and pedestrians,” said Mayor Hogsett. “During National Pedestrian Safety Month, we will highlight local projects that help make our communities safer to walk and cycle, as well as raise awareness of the role we all play in ensuring everyone who uses our city’s roads gets home safely.”
The data is clear when it comes to the need for walkable, safe cities. According to the NHTSA, there were 7,388 pedestrians killed in traffic crashes in 2021 across the United States. That is 20 pedestrians a day and 142 pedestrians a week. On average, a pedestrian was killed every 71 minutes and injured every nine minutes in traffic crashes in 2021.
To combat the local effects of this alarming national trend in road safety, Mayor Hogsett signed an updated Complete Streets Ordinance in 2022; as a result, Indianapolis Department of Public Works (Indy DPW) projects continue to feature more pedestrian safety investments such as wider sidewalks, improved crosswalks, and traffic calming measures. Mayor Hogsett has also implemented new traffic policies designed to improve road safety including the recent creation of Greenway Crossing Zones; secured a $25 million RAISE grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to convert multiple one-way thoroughfares downtown into calmer two-way streets; and added a full-time Traffic Safety Engineer to DPW’s Engineering Division.
Indy DPW will create public safety announcements centered around safe driving habits and share #NationalPedestrianSafetyMonth posts on social media.
