Trail Updates and Down-Lows

You Shall Go No Further!

There’ve been interesting developments on the local multiuse trails of late, so here’s the latest that I know about. First, the Monon Rail Trail detour around the North Split construction is no more: traffic has resumed following the original pathway beneath I-65 to 10th Street, where you can connect with the easternmost leg of the Cultural Trail. In theory, you can connect with the Pogue’s Run trail too, though when I last went through, the sidewalk was mostly blocked by construction signs between the Monon and Dorman Street. The loop that runs alongside College is closed, though you can go west from the main trail.

Out in Hancock County, work on the most recent segment of the Pennsy Trail is essentially complete, linking a heretofore forlorn segment between 400 W and 500 W to the stretch between Mt. Comfort Road (600 W) and Ellenberger Park. The run from 400 W to the park (including a stretch on the Ritter Avenue sidewalk) clocks in at about 11 miles each way, with several mile-long runs without road crossings. 

Still on the southeast side, the cluster… errr, mess that I call the (un)Pleasant Run Greenway is now more or less passable through the English/Pleasant Run/Southeastern intersection; a stretch somewhat complicated by pedestrian traffic around the new Criminal Justice Center. Of course, this being Indy, the trail is impassable just east of Keystone due to a construction project on the site of the old water tower; and Google Maps suggests that the section of the greenway between Keystone and Churchman is closed by work on good ol’ DigIndy. 

Meanwhile, work has begun on a “road diet” – IYAM, it looks more like “road bariatric surgery” – for West Michigan Street  from the west side of White River to Holmes Avenue, ultimately connecting to the newly-opened B&O trail out to Speedway. Also on the west side, the city’s gearing up to spend $20 million-plus on a Henry Street bridge to the former GM stamping plant, which will also carry a spur of the holy of holies, the Cultural Trail. A stated purpose of the bridge is to reduce traffic on Oliver Street which, despite what GoogleMaps might say, does not have a dedicated bike lane. 

I don’t often get to ride on Indy’s west side, partially because it’s just not convenient (I live near Fort Harrison State Park); but more because the west side appears to be Indy Parks and Recreation's red-headed stepchild, at least when it comes to hike and bike trails. Still, I like to occasionally make my way across White River – a surprisingly perilous undertaking, frankly – and see what’s out there. After fighting my way around a truck and Jersey barrier totally blocking the trail just north of Oliver Street (without signage, a marked detour, or any relevant information), I made my way south to Raymond Street and onto the Eagle Creek Trail. At I-70, I encountered yet another Jersey barrier blocking access to the last quarter mile or so of the trail and turned back. I was rather surprised to make it home without a flat tire, having observed the amount of broken glass littering the trail. Three cheers for Kevlar liners, I guess.

Given that the Cultural Trail has soaked up $50 million of public and (mostly) private funds in the past couple of years, how hard could it be for the city to clean the mud and loose gravel on that trail once in a while, not to mention paving the fifty feet of dirt interrupting the pavement on Belmont just north of Kentucky? According to Google Street Map, it’s been like that since at least 2019. It’s not like those tracks are in use, Indy: the rails have been removed in both directions from the Eagle Creek bridge!

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