IPL set to begin work on Washington St.

In preparation for the Indianapolis Cultural Trail's construction on Washington Street next year, IPL and other utilities will begin construction on Washington Street as soon as this week, Dec. 13-17 (weather permitting).

IPL will be working on manholes, mainline trenches and other work required across (north to south) Washington Street. It will begin this work at Capitol Ave. and Washington St. and move west to West St. This may require closing two to three traffic or parking lanes with IMPD officers directing traffic. This work will be limited between Capitol Ave. and West St. in December to prevent lane closures closest to Circle Centre Mall and surrounding businesses.

In January, IPL will begin work at Delaware St. and Washington St. and move west towards Capitol Ave. All traffic lanes will be open on Colts' game days.

IPL anticipates that this work - from West St. to Delaware St. on Washington St. - will be completed by May 2011.

The Central Corridor of the Indianapolis Cultural Trail is located on the north side of Washington St. from Alabama St. to West St. (see rendering above). The construction contract will bid through the Indiana Department of Transportation in mid-January with construction expected to begin 45 to 60 days later or as early as March 2011. The contractor will be required to complete the Cultural Trail from Alabama St. to Senate Ave. by the end of 2011. After the Super Bowl in February 2012, the remaining construction from Senate Ave. to West St. will be completed.

Download this flyer with a map to share with staff, customers or tenants. Please contact Gail Payne (317.713.3333, Gail@IndyCulturalTrail.org) with any questions or to schedule a meeting to discuss how the construction will impact your business or property.

Cultural Trail selected as boldest, bravest project in North America

In its recent newsletter article "Bold Moves and Brave Actions," Project for Public Spaces (PPS) selected five "success stories" representing each continent to inspire other cities around the globe.

"Great cities don’t just happen. They are the result of dedicated citizens and public officials who care about their hometowns and who are willing to shake things up to make them better places to live, work and play. This almost always involves imaginative innovations, which defy all the conventional wisdom about how to plan cities. Here are five success stories from five continents that can encourage you to initiate some bold moves to turn around things in your own town. ...Indianapolis, Indiana, is taking what may be the boldest step of any American city towards supporting bicyclists and pedestrians. Known as an extremely auto-oriented city, famous for the Indianapolis 500, it is one of the last places you’d expect to see vehicle lanes being replaced with more space for bicycles and pedestrians." -- Project for Public Spaces

This kind of publicity helps the Cultural Trail achieve its goal to position Indianapolis as a bold, progressive, 21st century-city of choice. This PPS newsletter reaches an international audience exceeding 35,000 people.  Another international organization focused on cities, CEO's for Cities, has also distributed this article. 

PPS is a nonprofit planning, design and educational organization dedicated to helping people create and sustain public spaces that build stronger communities around the world.

'Tis the season: Snow/ice removal procedures

The Indianapolis Cultural Trail has contracted with Engledow (via Indianapolis Downtown Inc. (IDI)) to manage snow and ice removal on the completed trail paths (East, North and Northeast Corridors). Photo: Engledow's Dan Miller and IDI's Beautification Director Anne Maschmeyer distribute Safe Step product samples to Cultural Trail property owners on Alabama St. in 2008.

Snowfalls of two inches (2”) or more will be plowed and deicing materials applied by Engledow/ICT. All bike paths or combined trail paths, corners and ADA ramps will be cleared. This also applies to ice events. Per city ordinance, adjacent property owners or tenants are responsible for clearing the sidewalks or pedestrian paths adjacent to property or buildings.

Salt and other deicing chemicals can kill plant material. If significant plant material is damaged or dies as a result of adjacent property owners applying excessive salt or other harmful chemicals, the Cultural Trail will seek appropriate damages.

PLEASE use Safe Step deicing agent (or comparable environmentally friendly product) on or around the Cultural Trail for deicing needs between treatments. Contact the Cultural Trail for one-time product samples or contact the following local merchants:

Sullivan’s Hardware (Safe Step available in store in 8lb., 25lb., and 50 lb. bags)
4838 N. Pennsylvania St.
6955 N. Keystone Ave.

Fusek’s True Value Hardware / Ron’s Home & Hardware
350 E. New York St.
Not stocked in store. Ask about comparable products.
Purchase by phone or online: 317.636.7364 or www.RonsHomeandHardware.com

For more information contact Anne Maschmeyer (317.237.2201, anne@indydt.com) or Gail Payne (317.713.3333, gail@IndyCulturalTrail.org).

E Pluribus Unum Update

Fabrication of proposed public art installation, "E Pluribus Unum" by Fred Wilson continues to be on hold. Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF), the co-lead on the Cultural Trail and commissioning entity for all Cultural Trail public art projects, continues to work on plans for more community dialogue. Key to this work is forming a partnership with the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee's Race and Cultural Relations Leadership Network (RCRLN). The RCRLN is not taking a position on the art project, but instead sees their potential role as that of an advisor to CICF who can help foster productive outreach and dialogue around the artwork, and perhaps more importantly, around the larger issues of race and culture. Future plans and public meetings will be announced in early 2011. For more information, contact Cultural Trail Public Art Coordinator Mindy Taylor Ross.

Southeast Corridor contractor announced

On December 8, Hunt Paving Company emerged as the lowest, most qualified bidder for the Southeast Corridor construction through the Indiana Department of Transportation's procurement process. Construction on this segment, connecting Washington St. to Fountain Square on Virginia Ave., may begin in approximately two months or by March 2011. The contractor must complete this construction by Dec. 31, 2011.  Meetings will be scheduled with the contractor and adjacent neighborhoods prior to starting construction. To receive Southeast Corridor construction updates and meeting schedule please contact Gail Payne, 317.713.3333 or Gail@IndyCulturalTrail.org.

Support the Trail with a charitable gift

We are grateful for such a successful year and especially for the federal funding that is allowing us to finish the entire eight-mile Cultural Trail in 2012. However, we still need your help. There are a few critical items that this funding cannot cover:

• Maintenance Endowment – a permanent resource providing annual funding for landscape maintenance, damages, gum, snow and ice removal
• Public art – eight installations and their ongoing maintenance
• Community bike-share program – offering bicycles for easy and inexpensive rental from multiple locations around the Trail

Please consider a gift to support this transformative project. It's as easy as clicking here to make an online donation. Gifts received by December 31, 2010, may be deducted on your 2010 income tax return and multi-year pledges are also accepted. Please contact Brian Payne with questions or to discuss your personal gift interests: call 317.631.6542 x177 or e-mail BrianP@cicf.org.

Thank you for considering a gift as we inch towards the finish line. We look forward to seeing you on the Cultural Trail in the New Year!