Some planned bike lanes in Mapleton-Fall Creek scrapped over parking concerns

(MIRROR INDY) — The Department of Public Works is scrapping some bike lanes that were slated to be installed in the Mapleton-Fall Creek neighborhood.

When the project was first proposed in January 2024, DPW planned to add bike lanes on Washington Boulevard, from 30th Street to 40th Street.

But the project has gradually been pared down in response to residents worried about the loss of street parking. Now, two-way bike lanes will only be installed north of 34th Street.

The other stretch — from 30th to 34th streets — will include painted markings along the pavement known as sharrows.

A sharrow, or shared lane marking, serves as a reminder to drivers that cyclists are also using the roadway.

“In June 2025, the decision was made to extend sharrows up to 34th Street following ADA parking concerns,” Indy DPW spokesperson Kyle Bloyd told Mirror Indy, referring to the Americans with Disabilities Act.

It’s a win for people like Portia Jackson, who needs to carry oxygen tanks for her health — though she said she felt DPW could have communicated better with neighbors.

“The fact they have accommodated the bikers and our parking to me was admirable, and I’m appreciative,” said Jackson, “but the way they communicated to us, the way they handled some things — it could have been done differently.”

For pedestrian and cycling safety advocates, however, the change is viewed as another example of city officials sidestepping their commitment to Vision Zero, a policy initiative that aims to eliminate injuries and deaths from vehicle traffic.

While the intent of sharrows is to make streets safer for cyclists, several studies have shown they do little to affect driver behavior.

“These are not the actions of a city that is serious about Vision Zero,” said Eric Holt, founder of Safe Streets Indy. “Sharrows do nothing to enhance the safety of Washington Boulevard for bicyclists and other road users. If safety truly is the city’s number one priority, it should move forward with the project as originally proposed.”

Events played out similarly last fall in the Meridian-Kessler neighborhood. Councilor John Barth, a Democrat and chair of the Vision Zero Task Force, helped kill bike lanes on Pennsylvania Street after residents and businesses complained about the loss of street parking.

Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations.

Peter Blanchard covers local government. Reach him at 317-605-4836 or peter.blanchard@mirrorindy.org. Follow him on X @peterlblanchard.

About The Author

See author's posts