INDIANAPOLIS — On Friday, August 8, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett and the Indianapolis Department of Public Works (Indy DPW) announced the next steps for the conversion of one-way to two-way traffic for Michigan and New York streets on the city’s Near Eastside.
“When we make our neighbors safer, we help our communities to thrive,” said Mayor Joe Hogsett. “Our Near Eastside businesses will benefit from more foot traffic, our public transportation will benefit from increased accessibility, and everyone traveling through Indianapolis will benefit from the increased simplicity and mobility of these two-way streets.”
In January 2008, the Near Eastside Collaborative Taskforce (NESCO) formally identified the desire to have two-way traffic on these streets as part of the organization’s Quality of Life plan. The plan also called for enhancements to transform the corridors into neighborhood- focused, pedestrian-friendly areas.
However, the project stalled and was long believed to be too costly to implement with Indy DPW capital funding alone. The project gained new life when IndyGo became interested in collaborating on the project in 2015 as a way to better balance bus lines.
“This project is a reflection of innovative, cross-agency collaboration that stretched public dollars further to deliver enhanced safety and access for our bus riders, and for everyone who walks, bikes or drives along this corridor,” said IndyGo President and CEO Jennifer Pyrz. “When we work together with our city partners, we can develop more connected streets for our riders and our community.”
Friday’s ribbon cutting event was hosted at Thomas Gregg Neighborhood School, located on the corner of Michigan Street and Keystone Avenue. School officials are excited to see the project reach completion.
“At the heart of this initiative is the safety of our students — which has always been our top priority,” said Ross Pippin, CEO of the Near Eastside Innovation School Corporation, which includes Thomas Gregg Neighborhood School. “These changes will significantly improve safety by calming traffic, reducing speeds, and adding dedicated bike lanes and improved bus transportation options. This is a win for our children, our families, and the broader Near Eastside community.”
What’s next
On Monday, August 11, New York Street will open to two-way traffic between College and Emerson avenues. Contractors are expected to begin removing construction barrels following the Monday morning commute and will work block-by-block.On Tuesday, August 12, Michigan Street will open to two-way traffic between Highland Avenue and East Pleasant Run Parkway. While Michigan Street will eventually be two-way between Highland and College avenues, necessary work at the rail crossings by CSX is still incomplete.
“We know folks have been patiently waiting for this one,” said Indy DPW Director Todd Wilson. “We want to get the barrels out of the way, get traffic flowing, get these bike lanes active and help get this neighborhood moving again.”
While primary construction is complete, contractors will continue working on minor items after traffic is switched to two-way flow.
Please keep an eye on Indy DPW’s social media channels for additional guidance on these traffic changes.
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