INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Department of Public Works has secured $35.5 million from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization for infrastructure improvements across the city.
Among the projects is the construction of a long-anticipated pedestrian bridge over 86th Street on the Monon Trail.
For many Indianapolis residents and advocates, this funding is more than just a step forward.
“This is not a safe intersection for anyone,” said Connie Szabo Schmucker, advocacy director at Bicycle Garage Indy. She has been at the forefront of community efforts to improve the Monon Trail crossing at 86th Street.
Schmucker’s involvement was sparked by personal tragedy.
A coworker, Frank Radeker, was struck and killed while cycling through the intersection.
“Frank was a very safe rider,” she said. “When he was killed, it struck a chord throughout the bicycling community."
The bridge joins a host of other projects funded by the IMPO grant including:
- A pedestrian bridge over 86th Street on the Monon Trail
- A pedestrian bridge over 82nd Street on the Nickel Plate Trail
- Rehabilitation of the Raymond Street Bridge over Bean Creek
- Construction of a roundabout at 71st & Dean Road
- Expansion of the Pacers Bikeshare system
- Extension of the Eagle Creek Greenway (Phase 3)
- Advanced Traffic Management Systems
- Knozonee Awareness Program
The Nickel Plate Trail bridge at 82nd Street is another major safety investment that Schmucker is excited for.
“That intersection is 100 times worse than 86th,” she noted. “So the funding for both of those bridges shows that safety matters not just for people in cars but for everyone who uses our transportation system.”
While the promise of new bridges is encouraging, Schmucker emphasized the urgent need for interim solutions.
“The bridge solves one of the problems,” she said. “Between now and five years from now, there still needs to be changes at the intersection.”
