IndyGO’s S-Pass for IUPUI students, a great value
IndyGO IUPUI S-Pass
Fall semester started at IUPUI in downtown Indy this week. I will be taking some classes on campus. As such, transportation becomes a big issue. IUPUI being a commuter campus draws a lot of people from outside of the core of Indy and by extension, provide areas for those people to park their cars. The lack of a robust transit system forces the bulk of students to drive to school.
I live just in bicycling range of school and as luck would have it, this year’s students were provided with (for free with tuition) the IndyGO S-Pass, which grants free trips on all of IndyGO’s fixed routes. If tallied against the expense of 12 months worth of 31 day passes, this is a $720 value. Not a bad catch for someone who doesn’t mind using the bus.
So this morning, I finally was able to get into the transportation office during business hours and pick mine up. My plan will be bicycling to school, and taking the Route 17 bus back to Broad Ripple and riding the surface streets the rest of the way home. All to avoid paying for a parking pass and discouraging more automobile oriented facilities on the campus which could be better served by educational facilities.
A visit to Carmel, IN
Arts District Lofts & Shoppes, Nikon D700 w/ Nikkor 28-70 f2.8
This past Monday, I had the pleasure of attending Wine & Canvas night in Carmel with my wife. Their Main Street (downtown) seems to be rapidly urbanizing. For a burb located 15 miles from the regional CBD, they are doing well. This photo is of a statue on the sidewalk on West Main Street. If you are an advocate of things urban, it really is worth your time to go walk through the Main Street area. There was another development coming together that doesn't quite ruin the scale and doesn't look like your typical EIFS clad mess of garbage.
Statue on Main Street, Nikon D700 w/ Nikkor 28-70 f2.8
Multimodal Study Prioritizes Transit Based Development in Carmel
Carmel Circulator Loops (image from MPO report)
A recently completed study by private consultant Storrow & Kinsella looked at the future of the Carmel region and how to lay a road map to sustain the success of recent and current projects going on in the quickly urbanizing suburb located 15 miles north of downtown Indianapolis. (click here to be taken the report on the Indianapolis MPO website) a number of the maps referenced are also easily viewed here
While I philospohically struggle to justify putting this story here at Urban Indy instead of my own blog due to it’s not-so-Indianapolis geographical location, it has regional implications that are worth the reading, and could also serve as a call to action for Indianapolis’ civic leaders.
The study recently completed was funded by a federal transporation grant and represents the collaboaration of the City of Carmel and the Indianapolis MPO. Contained within, are a number of suggestions that would nudge Carmel into a modal shift from a car centric city center, to a more transit oriented mode; a move which seems to be matched by the current pattern of development in the Carmel city center area. The study aims to provide ways to sustain that economic development through transit oriented means.
The report is 232 pages and represents a complete and in depth look at what the future of Carmel could look like, should city officials decide to pursue the recomendations and proper funding be put into bringing it to fruition. It plots a path starting with multiple transit districts laid out in parts of the Carmel area which are geographically similar and which are all connected to a central transit hub that is located near where the current IndyGO ICE routes pickup and drop off.
A ”rubber tired” based trolley system would be used for the first phase. Complete routes are recommended for additional future circulators also utilizing rubber tire based vehicles. The report examines future funding being used to impliment rail-based streetcar vehicles like those seen in Portland, Seattle and recently adopted into plan by Cincinnati.
The report also emphasizes that creating places should be an important part of the implimentation. It lays out a number of scenarios that take in current trends in the Carmel area and exploits them to the advantage of a more pedestrian oriented environment. The current Carmel Bike Plan is referenced as are “complete streets” strategies of connecting places and making the areas walkable; a theme which is pushed all over the country by urban activists intent on reviving our city’s urban cores. Another theme which is hit on often in the report is that Carmel should emphasize that it is a “City of Neighborhoods” and that the transit plan would be used to connect these neighborhoods using the circulators. The neighborhood theme is one that fellow Indianapolis blogger Greg Meckstroth of Urban-out.com touched on in comparing Cincinnati’s neighborhood centric pattern of development, to Indianapolis’ car centric pattern.
Dreaming even bigger, the study pins some faith on Indianapolis and the Indyconnect plan and suggests that whatever Carmel decides to impliment, it should coordinate with the region’s long range transportation plan. To that end, the plan suggests some sort of rail based rapid transit along College Ave to Indianapolis’ downtown area. That portion of the report seems to have been aligned with the HARMONI group of Midtown Indianapolis, which is also a neighborhood based non-profit that pushes similar neighborhood based improvements in the Broad Ripple and Meridian-Kessler area of Indianapolis. HARMONI has also advocated for some sort of rapid transit along College Ave.
The study is so in depth that it even covers suggested methods of branding the potential transit system in a way that is marketable and attractive to the general public. “It would include specific vehicle types and well crafted graphic imagery of color, route associations, and the brand/name/logo applications to vehicle, stops, shelters stations, wayfinding elements and system maps and guides. Beyond graphics and names, vehicle types (to the detail of specific models) are extremely important considerations, as are the style and form of the architectural elements of stops, stations, and transit centers.”
I would be remiss if I did not give my opinion of the report. I think that it is large in scope for a relatively small community but reads like a summary out of the Portland, OR design guide. It promotes green infrastructure at every turn. It prioritizes pedestrians and bicyling and maximizes land use in a smart and dense manner; the overiding transportation theme ties it all together. While Carmel is not laid out in the most efficient grid pattern in which the most successful transit systems are implimented, it’s current pattern of dense devlopment does lend well to mass-transit’s theme. 232 pages later, I feel inspired to advocate for a similar type of report for Indianapolis and the Indyconnect plan. With Carmel’s record of success in developing innovative transportation design along Keystone Avenue, it’s development of the Art’s District of Carmel and the currently under construction City Center I would not be the least bit surprised to see a majority of the parts of this study already started down the path to implimentation.
The implications for Indianapolis’ transportation system could be huge if one of it’s prominent suburbs were to institute a transportation system of the caliber described in the report. Should this reports suggestions be implimented soon, it could represent an embarassement to Indianapolis’ civic leaders for not coming together to put a similar plan together and impliment it sooner.
Editor’s Note: A special thanks to the IBJ’s Chris O’Malley for passing along some information to help in my research
My first visit to the Broad Ripple Ice Cream Station
Broad Ripple Ice Cream Station, Nikon D90 w/ Tokina 12-24 f4
This past Friday, I had to work late. I didn't even get home until about 7:30pm which was a downer. So when my wife asked if I would like to go out for ice cream, I of course said YES! This was a great way to get out and walk and salvage what was left of the evening. We gathered up the kid and were out the door in short order. We ended up going to Greeks Pizzeria in Broad Ripple which was our first visit after driving past the place dozens of times and saying that we should stop. The pizza was pretty good! The breadsticks were a little buttery, but tasted good. We had a meat lovers type of pizza. What made it was the crust! Very crunchy and tasty. However, the ingredients were very good as well.
Next, we made our way back to the trail and walked for a bit. On our way back down, we approached the new Broad Ripple Ice Cream Station. It was around 9:30pm and the deck was still full. We went inside and had to wait on a few people and stepped up and made our choice. We each got a "single scoop" sugar cone for $2.80. What we thought was one schoop ended up being three scoops piled on top of the cone. This is what they call a single scoop. The inside of what was once a stop along the old Monon Railroad, has been nicely renovated. It appears they are still using the old single pane glass windows. The intereior decorations have been tastefully done with a nod to it's history in the form of many old photos of the train running through the area, and some detailed maps framed, of the old Monon rail system. They have lent a thought to being green as well. Where most ice cream shops let you taste the ice cream before you buy, BRICS does this too. Instead of getting a plastic spoon though, they hand you a real metal spoon with a glass on the counter to return it. Also, they have recycle bins placed around the property to gather up what may be left of a customer's stay. I was pretty impressed by the tasting spoons. They are doing what they should be doing of course, as a consumer though, I just do not see it that often.
We observed, ate and then took our leave as our newborn was starting to get a little fussy. As we left around 10pm, the serving area was packed! I should have taken a photo of that, but there must have been 20-30 people waiting on ice cream. Nice to see a new local spot doing well for itself already!
Hey Indy how about a REAL plan for the Circle
Monument Circle, downtown Indy, Nikon D90 w/ Tokina 12-24 f4
There has been a lot of hub-bub about closing the Monument Circle to automobile traffic here in Indianapolis. Recently, city officials announced that they were going to close the monument circle, a known and admired shared space, to autos for the month of August. Simply as a trial run, they wanted to see how well the space would perform, devoid of cars. While the circle currently offers no REAL amenities to draw people, officials believed that the merits of the monument as a gathering place today, would spawn further pedestrian oriented development.
Street Market, Venice, IT, Nikon D70 w/ Tamron 19-35 f3.5
Frankly, this seems a little odd being that no permanent plans can be laid with only a single month planned for closure. Further more, how do you simulate the real thing when you close it down for only a month? How do we keep traditionally auto-oriented clients like the Columbia Club and the Theater happy? (they both have valet parking BTW)
Today, the city rescinded the plan in light of putting it back on the table. Apparently, too many people complained about the closure including a group of local architects crying foul on how poor a decision this could turn out to be.
So now that we are back at square one, how about a REAL plan Indianapolis? How can we develop a plan that actually makes this a winning idea? Can we create a transportation system that brings people, not just the poor who are the major demographic riding the laughable public transportation system, to the circle? Can local officials haggle with the owners of the buildings fronting the circle to entice them to open up the ground level, circle facing frontage to retail and/or restaurants? Given a firm plan, with committments from private owners on the circle, a great plan could be hatched to truly make this a public space.
Sidewalk Caffe, Rome IT, Nikon D70 w/ Tamron 19-35 f3.5
Perhaps the final solution involves limited automobile access to places like the Columbia Club and the Theater. Or maybe the winter months when there is not a large amount of people, discounting Christmas and the festival of lights perhaps.
Maybe we can channel a little bit of Europe and create the magic that they enjoy by really creating an environment that brings people in; nice places to eat, and fun things to purchase while enjoying the downtown area.
Placemaking on Mass Ave
IndyGO Route 17 @ Mass, NJ & Michigan, Nikon D90 w/ Tokina 12-24 f4
Recently, the Riley Area Development Corporation launched an effort titled, "Placemaking on Mass Ave" as a way to gather some public input on improving the areas along and adjacent to Mass Ave in downtown Indy. No doubt, for you locals, we already know how great Mass Ave has become compared to what it has been in years past.
Sculpture @ Mass, NJ & Michigan, Nikon D90 w/ Tokina 12-24 f4
However, there is still much remaining to do to create a place that truly delivers. There are blocks that cut off the lower and upper ends. There are arterial streets that make it difficult to get across. Affordable housing is not to be found unless you are on government assistance. However, those things said, it is still a great place.
Sculpture @ the lower end of Mass Ave, Nikon D90 w/ Tokina 12-24 f4
I recently asked a friend of mine who runs a shop on Mass Ave, how the public input meetings went, and how the effort was going to proceed. She told me a few things and accordingly, Bill Brooks of the Urban Times penned an article expounding on the fine points.
Im anxious to see how these suggestions come to fruition. They may seem minor, but I have a feeling that they may create a pretty good impact on the community.
Indy hoping to emulate European walkable areas
Indianapolis Monument Circle @ Night, Nikon D90 w/ Tokina 12-24 f4
The Indianapolis Star reported today that this coming August, they will be closing off the Monument Circle to automobile traffic. This move will be temporary to gauge how well it works. In doing so, they hope to create a more European plaza feel on the circle. Some people will argue that Indianapolis' Monument Circle is one of the great shared spaces of our nation; by that I mean that cars, pedestrians, bikes, etc all share the same area and seem to co-exist fairly well. If you have been on the circle on a warm summer day or evening though, as a pedestrian it feels as if you are constrained. Personally, I hope it succeeds wonderfully. It may be a pipe dream, but I hope that the naysayers are proven wrong. However, if they are right, I will not feel bad about seeing it go back to the way it currently is. This will be an interesting experiment held at likely one of the peak pedestrian times of the year. So it will be a good barometer. Yes, both photos in this post were taken by me. My wife and I were married in Italy in June of 2008, and we visited MANY of these great pedestrian places. 
They were great
Piazza San Marco, Venizia, Italy (Venice), Nikon D70 w/ 19-35 f3.5, June 2008