Multimillion-dollar grant to improve walking, bicycling in ‘underappreciated’ areas
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Some of Marion County’s most “underappreciated communities” are getting new help for improvements.
A $25 million grant could make it easier for people who walk and bike through the areas.
The stretch along East 30th Street between Dr. Andrew J. Brown Avenue and Boulevard Place is just one of the areas listed under the Connected Communities Initiative. It will focus on communities with high concentrations of Black people, young people people with disabilities, older people, and people without transportation. Specifically, the communities have historically lacked adequate sidewalks and other basic transit infrastructure.
The initiative is a collaboration with the Indianapolis government. Lilly awarded the Central Indiana Community Foundation with a $25 million grant to expand pedestrian bicycle infrastructure.
The hope, according to initiative representatives, is to help curb the impacts of high transportation costs and limited transportation access, while closing gaps in access to equitable job opportunities, access to health care, and healthy food.
Community members say these improvements can’t come fast enough.
These bike lanes get a lot of use from Herbert Smith and other people. He has a clear vision of what needs to be done around this community. “If you go down that way, you can see the side lanes are like chuckholes or potholes,” Smith said.
His parents moved to this community near Dr. Andrew J. Brown Avenue decades ago. His parents say the community has known neglect for quite a while, and they are hopeful to see what the Connected Communities Initiative will do to change that.
“Even in the car, there are several places on the roads that need to be repaired,” Smith said.
Smith said he has a hard time holding out hope, but looks forward to the possibility. “It would be beneficial for the traffic that’s going back-and-forth through there, as well as opening the bike lane,” Smith said.
Another bicyclist, Levon Berry, said of the walking and biking areas, “Well, some are good, some are bad.”
“They need to (fix them), especially this one. It’s all crumbled up and everything,” Berry added.