(MIRROR INDY) — The roar is loud and constant at Candace Miller’s home on West McCarty Street. Living about 100 feet from Interstate 70’s westbound lane means she’s been able to hear every vehicle every day for the past two and a half years.
She’s gotten used to the din. Now the only time she worries about the interstate is when other sounds pierce the roar, such as crashes or sirens — or the rattle of a stranger trying to open her neighbor’s door. Sometimes, she says, they happen all at once.
The view from West Indianapolis resident Candace Miller’s porch on June 13, 2024. Her front door is only about 130 feet from the westbound lane of Interstate 70. (Provided Photo/Enrique Saenz/Mirror Indy)
“We’ve had cars come off the road after they get in wrecks,” she said. “Then people jump the fence and try to get into peoples homes to not get caught by the police.”
Families living in dozens of West Indianapolis homes on McCarty Street, Wyoming Street and others that run parallel to the interstate are only separated from it by an embankment, a few sparse trees and a waist-high chain link fence.
A highway sign on the westbound lane of Interstate 70 visible from the intersection of McCarty Drive and Warman Avenue on June 13, 2024. (Provided Photo/Enrique Saenz/Mirror Indy)
Miller said she’d like some sound barriers to reduce the noise, but she said the state should prioritize things that could protect her home, such as more lighting on the interstate and more protective fencing on the embankments.
“If it’s raining and it’s dark, you can’t see anything,” she said. “I feel they should spend some money and make sure people that are driving can see better.”
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Miller’s concerns are the types of comments the Indiana Department of Transportation wants to hear from Indianapolis residents as it considers the future of the inner loop, made up of I-70 and Interstate 65.
Both interstate routes were built in the 1970s and are nearing the end of their service lives. INDOT plans to modernize them, but it first wants to hear how residents think it should approach the upgrades.
The agency is taking public comments through its Pro Planning and Environment Linkages program, or ProPEL Indy, until June 30 and will have several public information sessions around the city.
Original project split neighborhoods
When the Indianapolis portions of I-65 and I-70 were originally built, the interstates split neighborhoods, such as West Indianapolis, in the path of the selected inner loop routes. About 8,000 buildings were demolished for the projects, displacing about 17,000 residents, according to the Oct. 15, 1976, edition of the Indianapolis Star.
Little consideration was given to how the projects would affect those neighborhoods. The projects were designed in the 1960s and predated the 1970 National Environmental Policy Act, which requires environmental impact assessments for major federal actions. That includes how a proposed project would affect the people living near it.
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Many residents at the time were unhappy with the project. Some would form groups like the West Indianapolis Neighborhood Congress that would scrutinize future transportation projects and would oppose the projects when they didn’t serve the interests of the community they represented. The group and other city residents successfully opposed the construction of a proposed Harding Street freeway that would have linked I-65 in the north to I-465 in the south through I-70.
Building projects around residents’ needs
ProPEL Indy project manager Tim Miller speaks at a public information session at Rhodius Family Center June 11, 2024. (Provided Photo/Enrique Saenz/Mirror Indy)
ProPEL Indy project manager Tim Miller said future interstate projects will be planned with the needs of the public, businesses, and other organizations in mind instead of imposing the projects’ needs on them.
“What we’re trying to ask people to do is re-imagine how those interstates function within our community, whether that’s from a mobility standpoint, safety standpoint, or efficiency standpoint,” Miller said. “Instead of just giving ideas about this — saying this is how it will be — let’s have a conversation about how we want (interstates) to function in our community.”
The feedback that state officials receive from the public will be used to create plans for the interstate sometime next year. At that point, they’ll ask for more input.
“This is a generational study,” Miller said. “It’s very important that people get engaged.”
The view of the eastbound lane of Interstate 70 from a West Indianapolis resident’s backyard June 13, 2024. (Provided Photo/Enrique Saenz/Mirror Indy)
Residents like Miller expressed concerns that the outreach was just a formality before the state builds newer and bigger versions of the existing interstate, like the North Split project connecting I-65 and I-70 in the northeast part of the inner loop.
“They’ll act like, ‘We’ll take your comments,’ just to say it and pretend like they’re trying to have your back, but in my experience nothing’s ever done with that feedback,” Miller said.
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But others are optimistic about the prospects of changing the interstate system for the better.
“I’m very impressed with their outreach. I think that they’re taking it seriously,” said Jakob Morales, who works on the west side. “These are projects that are going to be around for a very long time and affect millions of people. This is the future, so it’s important to them.”
Morales said he wants INDOT to completely reimagine the interstate system.
“(They should consider) highway elimination and transforming them into slower boulevards that are dense, transit oriented and that aren’t going to leave us with these polluting interstates for the next 50 years,” he said.
What do you think?
ProPEL Indy will hold several more information sessions this month and will accept public comments online until June 30.
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Tuesday, June 18
Martin University
2186 N. Sherman Dr.
3-5 p.m.
Wednesday, June 26
Guion Creek Middle School
4401 W. 52nd St.
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4-6 p.m.
For more information, head to the ProPEL Indy website.
Mostly clear and pleasantly mild by July standards, with lows falling into the mid to upper 60s. A northeast breeze around 5 to 10 mph gradually diminishes overnight. It is a great evening for taking a walk, sitting outside, or simply opening the windows for a while before the more typical summer warmth returns.
TOMORROW
Sunny and warmer, with highs reaching the upper 80s. A light northeast breeze around 5 to 10 mph keeps the day from feeling too humid, and this looks like another dependable summer day for outdoor plans. After the active and occasionally stormy weather of the past week, central Indiana gets a nice stretch of quiet weather to begin the workweek.
TOMORROW NIGHT
Mostly clear and a little warmer, with lows settling into the upper 60s. Winds become light overnight, and there are no meaningful weather concerns. The warmer nighttime temperatures are the first hint that a hotter pattern is beginning to build.
TUESDAY
Mostly sunny and hot, with highs around 90 degrees. A light east to southeast breeze develops during the afternoon, and humidity becomes a little more noticeable. It is still a very usable summer day, but if you have plans that involve being outside for long periods, make sure to have plenty of water nearby.
TUESDAY NIGHT
Mostly clear and increasingly muggy, with lows holding in the low 70s. There will be noticeably less overnight relief than earlier in the week, and air conditioners will be working a little harder by daybreak Wednesday.
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WEDNESDAY
Sunny and hot, with highs climbing into the low 90s. A light southwest breeze develops in the afternoon, and rising humidity may push heat index values into the upper 90s. For those heading downtown for events, concerts, or the Indiana Fever home game Wednesday evening, it will be one of those classic midsummer days where the heat sticks around well into the evening hours.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT
Mostly clear and warm, with lows near 72 and a light southwest breeze. The hot and somewhat muggy pattern remains firmly in place overnight, with very little cooling after sunset.
THURSDAY
Partly sunny, hot, and more humid, with highs again in the low 90s. A light southwest breeze continues, and there may be just enough instability for an isolated afternoon shower or thunderstorm. Most places stay dry, but this begins the transition toward a slightly more unsettled pattern heading into the end of the week.
7 DAY FORECAST
The quiet weather pattern continues through midweek, but temperatures steadily climb from the upper 80s Monday to the low 90s by Wednesday and Thursday. Humidity also returns, making it feel closer to 100 degrees at times during the afternoons. Rain chances remain very low through Wednesday before isolated storm chances begin creeping back into the forecast Thursday and Friday. The biggest story this week is not severe weather, but rather the return of summer heat and humidity across central Indiana.
INDIANAPOLIS — A shooting that injured a woman at a hotel on Indianapolis’ south side Saturday night is under investigation.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said officers were called to the Motel 6 in the 4300 block of Southport Crossings Way just after 9:30 p.m. on a report of a person shot.
Arriving officers found a woman who had been shot. She was reported to be in stable condition.
Investigators believe there was an altercation between the woman and a man in a hotel room that led to shots being fired.
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No other information about the incident has been released by police.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indianapolis City-County Council president explains her desire for a data center moratorium.
Council President Maggie Lewis wants to put a pause on new data center developments. The proposal comes after months of public pressure from residents and environmental groups who say the city needs stronger rules before allowing more data centers. Now, Lewis says it’s time to hit pause while those questions are answered.
“I’m not saying that we’ll never have a new data center in our community. That’s not what this is about. I understand the importance of economic development in our community, but it is important that we hit pause, do that deep dive, and allow the community and the experts to have an honest conversation about the topic,” Lewis said.
Lewis says she isn’t trying to stop economic development. Instead, she says the city needs more time to fully understand what data centers could mean for Indianapolis before approving additional projects. Lewis says residents have raised questions about the potential impact on utilities, the environment and quality of life, and she believes those concerns deserve a more thorough public discussion before the city moves forward with additional developments.
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“The community really is feeling as if their voices haven’t been heard. I believe it’s important that we bring all the stakeholders to the table and have that honest dialogue,” Lewis said.
Councilman Ron Gibson, who supports bringing data centers to Indianapolis, and he says these projects can bring investment to neighborhoods when they’re built in the right locations.
“This land where they’re going to actually develop it has been vacant for more than 43 years,” Gibson said. “It’s zoned for industrial use. This is really going to enhance our neighborhood. It’s going to bring back life, create more businesses that want to move into our area, and create more opportunity.”
(WISH Photo)
One of the biggest concerns raised by opponents is whether increased demand for electricity and water could create additional costs for taxpayers.
“I believe strongly that the data centers must uphold total costs. I made sure the developer, in writing, is responsible for all utility costs, so none of that rolls over to constituents,” Gibson said.
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Across Indiana, at least 17 counties have approved temporary moratoriums on new data center developments. Marshall and Cass counties have gone even further, banning new facilities altogether.
The committee meeting begins Monday at 5:30 p.m. inside the City-County Building, where members will hold a public hearing on the proposed zoning rules and consider Lewis’ amendment for a temporary moratorium. If approved by the committee, the proposal would move to the full City-County Council for further consideration.
