INDIANAPOLIS — Drivers speeding along Madison Avenue on the south side of Indianapolis is something people have been concerned about for decades.
WRTV has been reporting on this issue since the mid-80’s.
“Especially late at night, people try to go way too fast,” one neighbor said.
South Village Neighborhood Association President Kristen Tjaden says the issue comes up at every neighborhood association meeting.
The speed is something that the city is working to address.
Officials say an estimated $20 million improvement will be made along Madison Avenue from Pleasant Run Parkway to Ray Street.
The city calls it a road diet. It’s taking that roughly two-mile stretch of Madison Avenue and reducing the lanes from three to two in both directions.
The project will also expand the Interurban Trail from Ray Street to Pleasant Run Parkway.
The city says the work is expected to start sometime next year and be completed by 2026.
“Slow down, stay home and stay in your own neighborhood,” Tjaden concluded.
Indy DPW issued the following statement regarding the project:
Indy DPW, in an effort to continue our drive towards a safer pedestrian environment, are planning a road diet of Madison Avenue. Formerly part of U.S. 31, the project will bring the roadway down to two lanes in each direction instead of the existing three, as well as extend the Interurban Trail from Ray Street to Pleasant Run Parkway.
This nearly two mile stretch of three lane divided road is a remnant of Indy’s past which deemphasized the needs of pedestrians and neighborhoods. This road diet is also just the beginning of traffic calming measures along that corridor. The project is the first of four planned phases to reclaim the Madison Avenue corridor and in doing so, further increase connectivity of neighborhoods and improve safety for pedestrians to the county line.
