A group known as “Downtown Indianapolis Streetcar Corp.” has quietly formed, and look to study possible routes. Of course, funding will be a tremendous hurdle, but at least people are looking into it.
In other IBJ news, they’ve posted an article about Casa Verde. It’s good to see them get some publicity.
This may be the shortest post on here yet. Super Tuesday has a grip on my attention at this moment.
Fantastic news that someone is even considering this. It’s probably just pipe-dreaminess at this point, but I like the initiative.
Of course, my mind is now abuzz with possible routes. There are many obvious routes and locations to hit, but I think it’s more interesting to think of areas where a streetcar could be a catalyst for the future. Here are two off the top of my head:
1. McCarty: from Lilly going west over to the river, then across the under-utilized Oliver Ave. bridge, thus serving the neighborhood on that side of the river. It could then be routed north on White River Parkway to hit the Zoo/Gardens/WRSP.
2. 16th St: from DMLK Jr to College. Think the intersection of 16th and Central would sit un-used long if there were a streetcar stop there?
I’d run a “T-shaped” line somewhere in the central corridor north out of downtown either on Illinois or Meridian, as far north as 38th, and east on 38th to Fall Creek (State Fairgrounds), then west on 38th to White River, back to the center and returning downtown on either Capitol or Meridian. Alternately it could return on MLK to IUPUI.
That line would serve the Central Library, utilities payment centers (Citizens Gas and IPL), Methodist Hospital, Ivy Tech, The Children’s Museum, the State Fairgrounds, Crown Hill Cemetery, the Art Museum/Art Park, and connect to the Canal, Monon, and Fall Creek Trails.
Thanks for the comments folks. May this project move forward…
I’ll dig around and see what I can turn up.
My preferred alignment would be Washington Street from Emerson on the East all the way to Central State on the West, with a future “T” leg up to 38th.
Really very exciting.
Tyson