Here is this week’s update on the 62nd street multi use trail taking shape on Indianapolis’ northside. A prior update to this project can be viewed here. The work currently taking place is adjacent to the Glendale Town Center and is removing a single lane of automobile traffic on the eastbound side of 62nd street.
You can see that the grass buffer between the roadway and the coming trail is nearly completed. The entrances to the shopping center and other business along the way are nearly all poured.
Additionally, a neat nuance of this section will be the accommodation of a transit stop area in front of the Walgreens drug store. You can see that there is already a concrete boarding area where one of the IndyGo signs is located. I do not know if there will be a covered stop at this location or not, but its nice to see all modes of transportation getting due consideration with this project.
Only shame here is that the landscape buffer will most likely not be planted with trees based on its width…would have been a nice addition as part of the project.
They started this project about 45 days ago, and so far this is all they have. No one out there all week. Oh, this and some stakes in the ground and some clear cutting. But this is typical Ballardian project management. I’m just waiting for them to screw it up so we taxpayers have to pay for the “do-over” like all the bikelanes.
Color my cynical, but for damned good reasons, no?
I’m certainly not a Ballard apologist, but this is pretty typical of most infrastructure projects in Indiana.
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I’m just happy to see biking and pedestrian infrastructure replacing automobile lanes and receiving equal attention.
“…but this is pretty typical of most infrastructure projects in Indiana.”
What does that mean?
Huh?
Are you saying over promise and under deliver are the norm for Ballardian works? I. Would agree. X 100000000.
I can cite many examples.
How’s that BR parking garage coming. Lolz.
How about that Cultural Trail-Ft Square project, which was supposed to be done before 2011’s holiday season and there seems to still be no end in sight.
That’s my favorite. Yes, I know why the construction has been ongoing due to the tracks they keep running into. But it seems they often have skeletal (if any) crews out there on a project that should be finished sooner than later.
The tracks are not the main issue… utilities, specifically a telecom, were/are the issue.
Then a citizen decided to take a metal detector out on the site and dug up something that was never going to be found by the contractor and got IDEM involved.
The contractor also needs to make money so they are only going to do what they need to with a crew they deem appropriate for the available work.
You can look at any of the other major road projects, even those being overseen by INDOT, that have stretched on for a long time, or in which tear down and rebuild was needed. 465 Westside. Keystone & 465 interchange. How long did those take? A long time.
Those are all big projects… west side was/is massive. How long would you perfer they took? A month?
Keystone & 465 was 2 contracts. 1 worked on 465 and prepped for the interchange. The second contract was the interchange.
I’m guessing it has much to do with phasing of subcontractors. The only hard infrastructure that had to be removed and replaced with concrete curbs and aprons was the piece by Glendale. The part further east is mostly cut and fill and pave.
That is part of it Chris. When there are DBE goals to be met and only a handfull of DBE subcontractors, those contractors have a lot of work and it takes time to get around to the different projects.
The non-DBE subs have the same issue of scheduling crews for the various projects they have.
I noticed today they put some orange barrels along 62nd from Rural to allisonville. PROGRESS!
I think the difference between INDOT and City projects is that, although some INDOT projects take a long time, they give a timeline up front and usually meet it. Whereas, the City does not. On this project, I doubt that the construction is causing any major inconvenience, so I don’t think it’s a big deal. The Cultural Trail though is certainly another story.
I’m happy to see from the photos that they selected a contractor who knows how to construct smooth, rounded curbs. Has anyone else been taking note of some of the curbs built recently, most notably on East Market and the E. 10th Street project near the Boner Center, but also in some places on the Cultural Trail? They are squared off and pointed, rather than being smoothed and rounded. I’m no engineer, or doctor, or safety expert, but they look very dangerous in the event that someone should trip and fall into one.
Lastly, I’m wondering whether creating what looks like a standard commercial driveway is the best way to accommodate the bus stop. I would think that having the loading area being on a raised platform, i.e. at curb level would be better. True, this woud require the adjacent trail section to be raised as well, but that could be accomplished with a gradual east-west rise that would meet ADA design restrictions. (In fact, I’m not sure why the trail wouldn’t be at curb height like a sidewalk would be anyway, not that it needs to be.) I wonder if anyone will reguarly sweep up all the roadway debris that will accumulate in the bus loading area.
Sure, this isn’t a high priority Allisonville Bridge over 465 type project, and it’s hardly disruptive to many people, but that is not really the point. The point is that DPW representatives told the neighborhoods that work would begin March 1st, and it would be done ” in a matter of weeks”. Then we heard there was a change in personnel at DPW, etc etc…blah blah blah. Over promise, under deliver….that is true Ballardian principle, is it not?
All political jabs aside, in what other industry besides this can contractors get away with poor quality, waaaay past due date projects, yet still get hired repeatedly, and still get paid? Look at Keystone’s BR parking garage for a clue.
And I wonder just how many of the companies subbed by DPW are based in Indianapolis, or even Indiana, and how many workers are from this area? I would really like to know. This administration does a real good job at claiming job and economic development and talking about infrastructure improvements, which is fine. I just wonder how much of our money stays in our neighborhood.
Perhaps the owners of this fine blog could look into that. Might be interesting.
“…waaaay past due date projects, yet still get hired repeatedly, and still get paid?”
They are generally not past the dates and if they are, there are damages the contractor must pay. On the flip side, when the contractors have issues and cannot work due to utilities, trolly tracks, etc. they are often compensated with time.
“And I wonder just how many of the companies subbed by DPW are based in Indianapolis, or even Indiana, and how many workers are from this area?”
That is not their call. In this age of fairness they have to go with the low bidder no matter where they are from. If they are a qualified contractor and they give the city or INDOT the best price, they get the work. Otherwise it looks like political connections are getting local contractors the work.
I am not sure you have your facts straight, Aidan. Look into the Keystone Construction being selected as the owner/developer/contractor of the BR parking garage. That is Ballards #1 contributor, as far as those in the construction//engineering/developer field go. And it was a NO BID project, ramrod dead thru at the taxpayers expense. That is well documented here and many other places like the IBJ.
As to the assertion that it doesn’t matter where the construction company, or their employees, is located…not sure that it’s ” not their call” or not, but in my books it should be. Why don’t Indiana taxpayer funds get spent on fellow Indiana workers? Sounds like a win-win to me. We have guidelines on minority and women owned businesses getting a certain share of the states contracts, don’t we? Why not keep the money here?
Do you have any pictures of the squared up curbs you speak of on the CT?
Nope. I don’t have any pictures. One location that comes to mind is a tree that they put a squared off curb around on Market Street across from the CCB. I suppose they did it that way because it was easier and cheaper than gradually curving the curb out to go around the tree. As it is, it’s an abrupt perpendicular bumpout.
They must have heard my whining. They are out there big time today with dozers and flag men and surveyors and backhoes and dump trucks. Looks like they are grading out the areas to be paved starting at rural and heading east.
JCW-pull your pants up-your politics are showing.
In looking at the documents for the bidding of this project it appears the contractors are on or ahead of the schedule they were given for completion so I don’t think we can blame the Mayor.
As for the comments regarding subcontractors and their legitamcy-the obligations of all contractors working for the city are the same and there is no preclusion in any State of Indiana or City of Indianapolis projects that contractors be from Indiana-simply comply w/specifications and be the low bidder and you will be awarded the work.
Lolz. Yeah those lowbid guys always do good work. Look at all the bike lanes and street work that need to be redone in virtually every instance. No politics here, just asking why we spend our money on out of state contractors when so many people here are looking for work. Doesn’t make sense to me. Quality job + local hires would be my criteria.
In other news, looks like they are paving the section from Keystone to Rural today.
No paving today although the equipment is there in preparation. Today the gravel bedding was spread and rolled so paving should begin soon.
As for the state of Indiana/City of Indianapolis bidding process I don’t think anyone locally is at a disadvantage. The competitive nature of business today makes for a more level playing field.
As for work quality I think that comes back to spec/contract agreements and an understanding of what is to be provided. Sometimes contractors know that performance of product/project could be improved but they are to provide what is specified.
Low bid + any contractor is the way its done.
It might be “the way it done” under Ballard. Doesn’t mean it’s the right way.
But you are obviously a lot smarter than me.
Ive been driving through here often on my way to work to see how the project is progressing. Its nice to see the paving about to begin!
So, driving back and forth several times today….they are making some decent progress. But what happens when the thing ends at Keystone, and the 2 way traffic on the multimodal pathway terminates. It appears that it becomes a free for all at that very busy intersection. Because going west, it becomes bike lanes on both sides of BR Ave. seems not to be very well thought out. Can’t see much safety with that design. Anyone have any insight into this?
Yeah. WB cyclists get off bikes, cross the two streets as pedestrians, and continue on their merry way. Or they just cycle in the regular WB traffic lanes, as is their right.
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Seriously. Every cycling advocate I know is pretty smart. Smart enough to stay safe. Bikes and ten lanes of cars don’t mix well.
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I suppose hardcore, dogmatic cyclists…those who are as adamant as “car people” that the world should be reodered to suit them… will probably take umbrage at my suggestion.
Seems there could be a better way for the casual cyclist to get thru that busy intersection. The new Speedway station has created a lot more traffic and congestion at that corner. Oh well, like I said, these people are smarter than the rest of us.
They have a delicate balancing act to not totally disrupt the existing flow of things, The new path allows the current traffic volumes to remain while providing safe pathways for bikes and pedestrians.
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I agree with Chris on this one. Its difficult to shove “the cyclist dream” into this corridor. Ideally, the best solution would be if 62nd street were realigned so that both bike lanes were on the south side, so that the transition to the new path was seemless. The addition of bollards would make it a really nice corridor.
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You have to remember that Indy is in it’s infancy when it comes to bike infrastructure. The projects being completed now, were planned years in advance without the benefit of what we advocates see as superior projects in other cities. As DPW and the mayor’s office see our projects, and the opportunities to excel, we will get better bike infrastructure. Just takes time