INDIANAPOLIS — Several Indianapolis streets will finally be getting a much-needed facelift.
The City-County Council approved a request from the Department of Public Works Monday night for $25 million to fix residential streets.
The money will go toward repairing and redesigning streets in neighborhoods across Indianapolis, not the main thoroughfares. Crews will fix problems like potholes and crumbling roads with funds that are left over from last year.
The council voted unanimously to approve the funding for the project.
"Continued investments like this are a win for our constituents as it will not only beautify our neighborhoods, but it will improve the safety and quality of life for all residents," Council Vice President Zach Adamson said.
It's the third year in a row the city is spending money on fixing residential streets. The DPW conducted a study last year that showed only about 7% of the city's residential streets were deemed to be in good shape.
"It's probably the number one complaint in my area," said Councilor Dan Boots, referring to messages about roads in District 3 on the city's northeast side and part of Castleton.
According to Boots, some of the streets in that district haven't been touched since the 1940s and '50s.
"You'll see some of the streets are woeful," Boots said.
"When you go down a street every day that's crumbling and you have to ... that's home for you and that's what you see, you feel like there's no way out or no hope," said Councilor La Keisha Jackson, who represents District 14 on the far east side. "We get personal calls. We get emails. They email us out at HOA meetings. They show us directly. They send us pictures. We get it all."
Monday's council vote could address some of those residents' concerns. According to DPW Director Brandon Herget, the money will come a surplus in this year's DPW operating budget.
"This isn't just routine maintenance on the streets, this is a complete rebuild of these streets in these residential areas," said Herget.
Herget said a 2019 study of the city's roads showed it would cost $600 million annually to get them to the condition they should be in and maintain it.
"We just haven't been able to invest like we should have in residential roads," Herget said.
Herget pointed to the state's road funding formula as part of the issue. Under the current formula, the state pays out on miles of a road based on the center line, not on lane miles. That means funding for one mile of road is the same whether it has two lanes or four. That's led to the city having less money for residential streets as it works to maintain the city's major thoroughfares.
"This is kinda of the tip of the iceberg, but it's a step in the right direction," said Boots.
Which streets in which districts will receive funding hasn't been decided.
"We need it in our city, period," said Jackson. "It's going back to taxpayers and that's important. They pay taxes, they should get some love in their neighborhoods, too."
DPW engineers will talk to councilors about the residential streets that need fixed in their districts while also looking at data they collect about street conditions.
Construction will begin in the spring.
If you'd like to report a street in your neighborhood that needs repair, click here to fill out a form or call the Mayor's Action Center at 317-327-4622.