Indianapolis strives to be bike friendly

Posted: Oct 2, 2008 05:26 PM EDT

Updated: Oct 2, 2008 05:37 PM EDT








Mary Milz/Eyewitness News
Indianapolis - With gas prices so high, more people are commuting to work on their bikes. The ride should become easier in Indianapolis, where the city plans to add several miles of bike lanes.

If you like to cycle, chances are you use the Monon or Cultural Trail. But if you venture out on the open road, especially downtown, it's often at your own risk. You won't find a single bike lane there.

"Indianapolis does have a poor record as being bike friendly," said Marcus Barlow, spokesman for Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard.

But Barlow says the city is shifting gears with plans for 200 miles of bike lanes over the next 15 years.

"What we're looking at is using trails that already exist and streets that run into them and just create countywide mobility on bicycles," said Barlow.

Jeff Gold, an avid cyclist, applauds the move.

"There are cities that have a lot more bike lanes than we have. We could certainly use more," he said.

Gold lives close to 52nd Street. It's one of just a handful of Indianapolis streets with marked bike lanes.

"Bike lanes are important because they encourage people to be on bikes and they connect the community," said Gold.

Tentative plans call for starting with marked bike lanes along Michigan and New York Streets and possibly even Allisonville Road.

Barlow says the mayor wants the city designated as a "Bicycle Friendly Community" and in order to do that, it needs to meet several criteria. One of those criteria is educating the community on the importance of sharing the road. Justin Yoder, who owns a bicycle apparel store, calls that critical.

"It's one thing to throw down paint and have a lane, but cyclists and drivers need to be educated on the rules and how to use bike lanes," said Yoder.

Barlow says they hope to fund the bikeways plan mostly through federal grants and private dollars. The mayor will roll out more specifics later this month.

So far, 96 communities in 32 states have been awarded with the Bicycle Friendly designation, including Carmel and Bloomington.

yipee, about time. Most important thing is education.