INDIANAPOLIS — Two of three pedestrian corridors created in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic to help people patronize local businesses and restaurants and stay socially distant will be reopened to vehicle traffic after Labor Day weekend.
The Indianapolis Department of Public Works on Tuesday announced the corridors on Broad Ripple Avenue and Massachusetts Avenue will be reopened after the holiday weekend. Crews will start Sept. 8 at Broad Ripple Avenue and will remove barriers from Mass Ave later in the week.
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Indy DPW said while motorists will be able to travel in both directions of Broad Ripple Avenue and Mass Ave once reopened, businesses which have been permitted to expand seating into adjacent street parking spaces may continue to operate in these locations while protected by remaining concrete barriers.
The city also said that restaurants along both corridors which are part of the Dine Out Indy program were informed on Tuesday about the reopening. Those businesses were told they need to inform the city by Sept. 4 if they will continue to utilize the permitted parking spaces for outdoor seating. Indy DPW will cover the costs for those occupied spaces through Nov. 30, the city said.
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The temporary pedestrian corridor along Georgia Street between Pennsylvania and Meridian streets, which compromises no on-street parking spaces, will continue to be closed to vehicular traffic.
All three locations were closed in May to create space for pedestrians to stay socially distant while enjoying the commerically dense areas.
