INDIANAPOLIS — The Community Heights Neighborhood Association is using barriers in center turn lanes on 10th Street, between Emerson and Arlington avenues, and along bike lanes between Ritter and Arlington avenues, to help ensure safer roads for drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists.
The project, which organizers are calling an experiment, started Sunday and will run until Nov. 4.
"It was nearly instantaneous that passing in the center lane stopped, racing down 10th Street stopped," said Leslie Schulte, president of the Community Heights Neighborhood Association.
In its first week, organizers said the feedback has been mostly positive.
"I would believe that the neighbors that can look out their front window and see 10th Street, they're your most reliable witnesses of what's happening," Schulte said. "They all seem to be happy with the results of this study."
It's the second Tactical Urbanism project the city has approved. The Community Heights Neighborhood Association says they received a permit from the Department of Public Works for the $50,000 study, which was funded by the Indiana Department of Health, Indianapolis Neighborhood Resource Center and the Indianapolis Foundation.
"Our goal with this project is to collect data that demonstrates that it is safer to be out here, both with hard data — a speed study, collecting how fast cars are going and are they obeying the speed limit," said Schulte. "And with soft data, how do neighbors feel when they're walking, when they're waiting for the bus, when they're driving?"
After Nov. 4, the neighborhood association and Department of Public Works will evaluate the data collected and talk with neighbors to see if a permanent safety investment will be made.
There will be another round of barriers being installed Saturday, July 22 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., and members of the public are invited to help.
If you have any questions about the project, visit the project's website.