INDIANAPOLIS— Colorful street art in Chatham Arch is helping slow down traffic and bring safety back to two busy corners of Downtown Indianapolis. What looks like a splash of public art is actually a bold attempt to tackle a serious problem: speeding.
Residents in the historic neighborhood have long voiced concerns about cars racing through residential streets. With so many pedestrians, cyclists, scooter riders and dog walkers using the same space, the situation had become more than just frustrating.
“We see some pretty crazy speed and driving techniques on this corner,” said Jeffrey Keyes, who lives in Chatham Arch. “It's getting a little bit worrisome.”
To address the issue, neighbors teamed up to launch a tactical urbanism project. It's a low-cost street installation designed to calm traffic and prioritize safety. The project now brightens up the intersections at 10th Street and Park Avenue and the next block over, serving as a visible reminder for drivers to slow down.
Jeffrey Tompkins, a member of the Chatham Arch Neighborhood Association board, said traffic safety was one of the top issues raised in a recent community survey.
Before anything was installed, the neighborhood formed a task force that gathered data to better understand the problem.
“We actually took a radar gun and we came out and tested some speeds before this was installed, and what we found is over 150 cars the 85th percentile of speeding was about 12 miles per hour over the posted speed limit of 25,” Tompkins said.
Funded by a $7,500 grant from AARP, the street project uses painted curb extensions and pedestrian-friendly design to help reclaim the street for the people who live there.
“It does seem to be helping,” Keyes said.
The installation is scheduled to remain in place through October.
If it continues to show results, it could inspire similar projects in other Indianapolis neighborhoods hoping to create safer, more livable streets.
