Indy’s Most Dangerous Bike Trail Intersections: Number Five

Following the untimely death of local bicycle icon Frank Radaker (October, 2021) at the Monon Trail where it crosses 86th Street, members of the cycling community lobbied Indy's government for changes to make cycling in the city safer. To our uncertain knowledge, there has been a change. By “a change,” we mean just the one: DPW reprogrammed the pedestrian crossing lights at site of Radaker's death; granting trail users a few seconds when no motor vehicles have a green light. Now, if they could just reprogram some drivers who routinely ignore the “no turn on red” signs…

Although it's certainly dangerous, in our opinion the intersection where Frank died is not the most dangerous intersection for Indianapolis cyclists, not even the most dangerous intersection of a trail and a street. Without further ado, here is our next nomination in our bottom six street crossings in Marion County…

Number 5: Fall Creek Trail at Boy Scout Road

Just outside the west entrance to Fort Harrison State Park, the narrow gateway marked “bicycle and pedestrian entrance only,” the Fall Creek Greenway Trail crosses Boy Scout Road (or maybe it’s 63rd Street, no one is certain). The crossing is immediately adjacent to heavily-travelled Fall Creek Road, forcing trail users to navigate a broad intersection with traffic approaching on a curve from one direction on Fall Creek and at the bottom of a relatively steep hill in the other direction.

Engineering-wise, the crossing is a disaster waiting to happen: eastbound cyclists must start moving on an upward incline while watching for speeding traffic turning off Fall Creek and dealing with sight lines to the east on Boy Scout Road that are partially obscured by bridge railings. Once across, a trail user is forced to immediately make a hard right onto a narrow sidewalk on the north side of the bridge; leaving trail users no space for runout. Westbound trail users are forced to stop after a hard left within the width of a sidewalk and look backward for traffic approaching from the east. Small wonder many experienced (and inexperienced) cyclists choose to ride in the street instead of attempting to make the “official” crossing.

Although Boy Scout is not generally busy, it at times carries heavy traffic to and from a nearby high school. To make matters more difficult, traffic turning right onto Boy Scout from Fall Creek usually does so at full speed of 40-45 MPH.

Grade: C- [engineering: D, traffic: C]

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