INDIANAPOLIS — A tactical urbanism project on the east side of Indianapolis is now inspiring the city to redesign one of the area's busiest streets.
In 2023, the Community Heights Neighborhood Association set up medians with water barriers on East 10th Street to slow down drivers.
According to the data, the temporary solution worked.
"We saw a 74% drop in crashes. The year prior, there were 30 crashes in 90 days. With the experiment in place, we saw eight crashes,” said Leslie Schulte, the former president and current board member of the Community Heights Neighborhood Association.
The east side neighborhood was one of the first in Indianapolis to launch a Tactical Urbanism project through the city.
The city's Department of Public Works took note, saying neighbors not only provided critical data, but also a roadmap to possible solutions.
“It gives DPW valuable data points and community engagement for when we go to plan major future investments down the road, and this one obviously fit what we wanted to do," said Kyle Bloyd with Indy DPW. "So next year, we are going to start a redesign and a reimagining of 10th Street between Arlington and Emerson avenues."
The department included millions of dollars in next year's budget to start the redesign of the congested corridor — a permanent fix, thanks to the community-led project.
"This would be one of the first tactical urbanism programs that a community organization has done in Indianapolis that is going to lead to a major full-scale redesign of their roadway,” Bloyd said.
Currently, Indy DPW does not have a construction timeline. However, they plan to include infrastructure that will calm traffic and improve pedestrian safety.
Schulte calls it a win for her neighborhood, saying she didn’t expect permanent changes for several years.
"Design funds being included in this year's budget is incredible,” Schulte said.
She now hopes it inspires other communities to do similar projects.
Indy DPW plans to start the design phase next year and anticipates holding neighborhood meetings to get input and feedback from the community.
Tactical urbanism is one of the city's "Community Powered Infrastructure" programs, where community groups apply for permits and funding from the city to install temporary barriers.
The city is getting ready to announce new projects with a new round of applications opening in December.