Crash prompts DPW to review design of Irvington street
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Homeowners’ concerns are prompting the Indianapolis Department of Public Works to look into work along 10th Street in Irvington.
“There’s just been a general concern that this stretch of road between Arlington and Emerson avenues has become a little more treacherous,” said councillor Blake Johnson, who represents the area on the City-County Council.
The road has already been fixed once after public outcry, but neighbors question if the changes, including bike lanes, were too much.
“I called the Mayor’s Action (Center) hotline on multiple occasions. I know my neighbors did,” said Josh Davis, who lives on 10th Street.
“Congestion is a little higher, it seems like the rate of traffic is much faster, it seems like there are more close calls,” said Johnson.
But a few weeks ago the close calls became a dangerous situation, with a car flipping over and nearly crashing into a house on 10th Street and Layman Avenue.
“It does point to a need to review. Ensuring that we’re taking a deep, hard look at what’s going on here and making sure that nothing we’ve done to improve the area, by adding bike lanes and making inter-connectivity a priority for the city hasn’t had an adverse effect,” said Johnson.
After the neighborhood asked for it, the city redesigned the road last year. The number of car travel lanes was reduced from four to two. They also added a turning lane in the center and bike lanes in each direction.
“Has this had that effect that they’ve looked for and can we do anything to improve it?” asked Johnson.
“It was a dangerous situation for at least about a year,” said Davis.
Davis says after the first redesign he saw a few close calls, but then the city came to fix it.
“About three months ago they came back through and re-striped the lines and it has made a complete difference,” said Davis.
But Councillor Johnson is asking if they need to go even further, perhaps redesigning the road again or changing the traffic signals. But he says it could also be as simple as enforcement and education.
Johnson says he’s expecting the report from DPW in about two weeks. He says then they will work together to figure out where to go from here.