Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Streetsblog.net

What Happens When You Divert Bikeways From Commercial Streets?

Some of the streets around Indianapolis's widely lauded Cultural Trail are seeing a development boom, while others are not.

Around Virginia Avenue, the Indianapolis Cultural Trail has helped give rise to a booming new neighborhood. Photo: Curtis Ailes
Around Virginia Avenue, the Indianapolis Cultural Trail is credited for catalyzing a development boom. Photo: Curtis Ailes
false

Kevin Kastner at UrbanIndy has a theory about why Virginia Avenue seems to be reaping huge benefits since the debut of the walking and biking trail, but no such change has come to Massachusetts Avenue:

Virginia Avenue is hopping with new developments. Each article and news report that is written about the renewed focus on the street has mentioned the Cultural Trail as major catalyst for the revitalization of the street. The Cultural Trail is parallel to the commercial district for almost the entire stretch, with the exception of the short jog it makes to enable easier crossing of East and South Streets.

Contrast this to how the trail zigs and zags in the city’s other major diagonal commercial district, Massachusetts Avenue.

The Cultural Trail planners went out of their way to preserve street parking along Mass Ave, which is perpendicular instead of parallel. But I have to wonder if the backers of the street shot itself in the foot a bit by housing the trail on peripheral low-trafficked streets and alleys, instead of creating a more direct link to downtown.

Elsewhere on the Network today: Riffing off recent stories in the New York Times, The Naked City wonders whether the Vision Zero approach pioneered in Sweden could make traffic deaths "go the way of smallpox" in the United States. NRDC's Switchboard blog says the Senate's six-year transportation bill represents "incremental" progress on U.S. transportation policy. And People for Bikes offers 14 different ways to make bike lanes better.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Friday Video: Are We All Living in a ‘Carspiracy’?

How does "car-brain" shape the way we think about the world — even in relatively bike-friendly countries like the U.K.?

July 26, 2024

Friday’s Headlines Share and Share Alike

Bikeshares, and e-bikes and scooters generally, are becoming more popular. That's led to more injuries, highlighting the need for better infrastructure.

July 26, 2024

What the Heck is Going on With the California E-Bike Incentive Program?

The program's launch has been delayed for two years, and currently "there is no specific timeline" for it. Plus the administrator, Pedal Ahead, is getting dragged, but details are vague.

July 26, 2024

Talking Headways Podcast: Have Cities Run Out of Land?

Chris Redfearn of USC and Anthony Orlando of Cal Poly Pomona on why "pro-business" Texas housing markets are catching up to "pro-regulation" California and what it might mean for future city growth.

July 25, 2024

The Paris Plan for Olympic Traffic? Build More Bike Lanes

A push to make Paris fully bikable for the Olympics is already paying dividends long before the opening ceremonies.

July 25, 2024
See all posts