Here’s which Indy roads will be upgraded with $20M federal traffic safety grant

Indianapolis will receive $19.9 million in federal grant funding for roadway and pedestrian safety improvements, enabling the city to upgrade parts of Post Road and 30th Street.

The funds make up a large portion of the $26 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation earmarked for 13 Indiana communities through the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, which was signed into law in 2021, created the roadway safety program.

Indianapolis’ funds will go to the design and construction of upgrades to arterial streets and these six corridors, according to a release:

• Post Road between Washington Street & 38th Street
• East 30th Street between Rural Street & Franklin Road
• Lynhurst Drive between Morris Street & West 22nd Street
• East 42nd Street between Franklin Road & Mitthoefer Road
• Franklin Road between 30th & 42nd Street
• Thompson Road between East Street & Madison Avenue 

The project includes allocations for improving or constructing 11 miles of sidewalk, 18 mid-block crossings and 538 curb ramps. Funds will also be earmarked for 71 bus boarding areas.

Mayor Joe Hogsett said in a statement the new federal grant money from the Safe Streets and Roads for All program is significant.

“As a recipient of a grant through the Safe Streets and Roads for All program, Indianapolis can keep its focus on a future where none of our neighbors lose a loved one in a preventable traffic crash,” he said. “This grant will allow us to make dramatic changes in the lives of many of our residents by ensuring that they feel safe any time they take a walk, ride their bike, or wait for public transit.”

In recent months, community leaders and city councilors have started to embrace pedestrian safety culture by backing Vision Zero initiatives, an international street safety concept that aims to prevent all pedestrian deaths from car crashes.

City administrators have actively been exploring street safety measures. The city commissioned engineering firm WSP to study safety measures on 38th Street, a major arterial road connecting Indianapolis’ east and west sides.

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The study will help the city explore options like implementing new signal timings that will reduce speeds and considering reducing the number of lanes on the street, according to Kyle Bloyd, spokesperson for Indianapolis’ Department of Public Works.

In a budget pitch before the DOT award announcement, Mayor Joe Hogsett proposed allocating each city-county councilor $1 million to address up to three of their most hazardous intersections for improvement in their districts. The funds could also be divided for park improvements, according to staff.

Michael McDaniel is the city government reporter at IndyStar. He can be reached at mmcdaniel@indystar.com.