CARMEL — The City of Carmel says its population is on track to reach 160,000 people within the next decade. To keep up with the extra residents and extra traffic, officials are sticking with the plan to use roundabouts to keep things flowing.
"On the east and west side, there's still some development taking place," Jeremy Kashman, Director of Engineering for the City of Carmel said. "A lot of people will say there's not a lot of room to grow, but it's still taking place."
Preparing for what's to come, the City of Carmel has already phased in many infrastructure projects to improve traffic flow to meet its population demand.
"If we could take care of the intersection today, then we'll save more money on future roadway expansion," Kashman said.
Converting many of their intersections to roundabouts to allow safer access in and around the city.
"The main thing that we're focusing on right now is fixing all the nodes," Kashman said. "So, placing a roundabout at the intersection of two roadways does a couple of different things, it provides a safer intersection, a more efficient intersection, and long-term it alleviates the possibility of us having to widen roads in the future."
"Roundabouts, they're okay, but we probably have too many already," resident Joe Kertis said.
Kertis said he and his wife moved to Carmel about 30 years ago, just wanting a small-town community. But seeing the developments happening is a bit concerning.
"The things they're doing, I don't understand it. We've talked (for) five or six years about maybe going to Noblesville, but Noblesville doing the same thing. Westfield doing the same thing. Fishers doing the same thing. There's a competition, I think," Kertis said.
Kashman said the city's infrastructure plan has become the blueprint for many big cities across the nation, eliminating as many traffic lights with more than 140 roundabouts and multi-use pathways.
"One thing the mayor likes to say is we're building a city for 50 or 100 years, not two years," Kashman said.
He said the growth is happening fast in Carmel, and they are doing whatever they can to perfect the quality of life for residents looking ahead.
-
Robert Francis Prevost elected first American pope, takes name Pope Leo XIV
White smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel chimney on Thursday, signaling that a new pope has been elected.
IMS Yellow Shirts maintain long lasting friendship, all for the love of the race
On the track yellow means caution, but off the track, these yellow shirts make sure people know where they are going all month long.
IPS Mental Health and School Culture Task Force holds first public meeting
Affirming, stable, healthy, safe — these are some of the qualities IPS wants to create in its buildings. The Mental Health and School Culture Task Force aims to make these goals a reality.
4-year-old dead, two others critical following southeast side hit-and-run crash
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police are searching for the driver who they believe crashed into a car and a bicycle, killing a child and critically injuring two others Wednesday night.
