INDIANAPOLIS — The near east side recently got some upgrades.
Earlier this month, Indy DPW opened New York and Michigan streets to two-way traffic as part of a transformative $19.7 million investment.
Many touted the project’s completion as a win for pedestrian and bicyclist safety.
“When we make our neighbors safer, we help our communities to thrive,” Mayor Joe Hogsett said at a press conference on August 8.
The project includes concrete curbing that helps protect users of the bike lane.
But Holy Cross neighbor Ellen Robinson says it's creating confusion for drivers.
“This street right here, when they first put it in, I wasn’t sure what that was for. There’s a place you can actually go in the bike lane, or you can go straight and then turn. People don’t know where to turn," Robinson said.
And Robinson says that can have dangerous consequences for anyone on the road.
“People’s cars are going up onto the curb," she said.
That’s exactly what happened to Maggie Smith’s Family.
“When you’re driving, you see the pylons that denote the bike path. Well, now the pylons stop and they’ve put up these curbs that are a strange height, and the biggest problem is they aren’t visible," Smith said.
Smith says just last week, her son ran over the curb at the intersection of New York and Dickson Streets.
And the damage was extensive.
“The entire underneath of the car has been scraped. There’s damage to the control arm. Damage to the axle. They have to go in and have a bent frame," she said.
Smith would like to see some improvements made to the bike lanes so that folks behind the wheel can be safer.
She suggests reflectors or bright-colored paint.
“I think the best idea would be to be consistent and put up those pylons that separate the cars from the bikes," Smith said.
WRTV reached out to Indy DPW about this specific intersection.
A spokesperson said, “Indy DPW would like to remind drivers to drive the speed limit, avoid distractions and drive within the painted lines to help keep all road users safe.”
