City scraps plan for protected bike lanes on Pennsylvania Street
(MIRROR INDY) — A plan to install protected bike lanes along a stretch of Pennsylvania Street in Meridian-Kessler has been scrapped over concerns about the loss of on-street parking spaces.
The Indianapolis Department of Public Works sent a letter this week to residents and business owners along the 1.5-mile stretch on the north side to inform them of the changes. Several had expressed concerns about the loss of parking on the west side of the street.
As first envisioned, the project would have resurfaced Pennsylvania between 46th Street and Westfield Boulevard and created a two-way bike lane with protective barriers. Instead, the department will resurface the road and paint shared lane markings for bicycles and motor vehicles. There also will be painted crosswalks at intersections.
Not everyone is happy with the decision. Bike Indianapolis was urging the city to install protective barriers, saying shared lanes are confusing and pointing to evidence that shows they are less safe.
“We believe the final design does not improve safety for vulnerable road users on this street,” said Chris Holcomb, chair of the advocacy committee for Bike Indianapolis, in a statement to Mirror Indy. “This design will be confusing to both drivers and cyclists and creates additional points of conflict in the roadway that could endanger cyclists.”
Cycling advocates have also spoken critically of City-County Councilor John Barth, a Democrat who advocated for the revised plan despite being one of the leading advocates behind the city’s Vision Zero ordinance, a blueprint for road safety that aims to eliminate traffic deaths.
Barth did not respond to a request for comment Friday morning. He previously told Mirror Indy he considered the revised plan to be “a common sense solution.”
In a statement, the Department of Public Works said the new plan “aims to balance safety improvements with community priorities.”
The department anticipates the road will be repaved and the shared lanes and crosswalks will be painted by year’s end.
Peter Blanchard covers local government. Reach him at 317-605-4836 or peter.blanchard@mirrorindy.org. Follow him on X @peterlblanchard.