There has been significant progress on the 62nd street multi-use trail since the last update. The path is now graded halfway through the neighborhood which for imaginative purposes means, trail construction is now snaking it’s way eastward through the neighborhood.Â
The first layer of pavement has been laid along the Glendale Town Center, with what appears to be another layer yet to come. Additionally, some of the pathway through the neighborhood has some pavement laid as well. There are a lot of what appear to be underground storm water pipes through the neighborhood, so I am not sure where these will be placed yet.
We will keep you updated as trail construction moves forward. This post should serve to dispel some of the myths about how slowly this project is moving as most of the grading and paving has taken place this week.  One last point in closing. This trail is 100% federally funded. As our federal government debates the new surface transportation bill, one of the key debate points has been federal funding for bike and pedestrian projects. Republicans want to cut it as they see those funds taking away from roadway spending, even though there is currently a minimal amount that exists. Democrats have lobbied for the Cardin-Cochran amendment which would allow cities to have more flexibility over the funding available to them for projects exactly like this one. Should be interesting to see how the federal debate will affect us locals as the negotiations wrap up.
Nice to see the trail near my neighborhood.
Dispell some of the myths about how slow this project is moving? We were told, by Ballards people, that this would be started in March and done by Memorial day. True story.
Also, they seem to work a couple days, then nothing for days. Now you guys who are pros at this will enlighten us by saying ” this is how it’s done” all the while there is construction material, equipment and debris all along the project site. I did notice yesterday during rush hour a whole bunch of people on bikes trying to navigate down a half built trail, crossing a very busy 62nd street and nearly getting flattened as the trail is clearly in an unsafe and incomplete state. Do we allow cars to do this? Of course not. The trail should be roped off and CLOSED until it is finished….and safe.
Also, notice the drainage pipes all up and down the street. I doubt this thing is done by Labor Day.
Over promise, under deliver.
I hope I am wrong, but….”this is how it’s done”…
*yawn*
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Next election for mayor: 2015.
Can anybody let us know how long this trail is? How many blocks does it extend beyond the Glendale parking lot? Thanks
It will stretch all the way to Allisonville Road.
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https://urbanindy.com/2010/10/26/multi-use-path-coming-to-e-62nd-street/
Very good for the neighborhood. Does this project mean that the Republicans can’t pave 69 every year? What are the NE residents going to do? So tired of politicians wasting so much time and energy on funding our roads for vehicles only.
Evil Republicans, huh?
🙂
Yep, and the truth does hurt.
Micah and JCW, I would like to keep these threads from veering off-topic if possible. The comments are getting low in the signal-to-noise ratio. Thank you.
Oh, I wouldn’t say they are ALL evil. Most are just ignorant of reality.
But back on topic”. What is the holdup with the old gas station turned car repair jint on the southeastt corner of 62 and Rural? No work there at all. What will that portion concisit of?
To be honest it looks simple, but I am going to guess it is a mess. They appear to bump the curb north for the trail and are putting in an additional mast arm ( I haven’t seen many poles with 2 mast arms going outint eh same direction; new pole and foundation required?), or perhaps they are taking away the old that is at a 45 deg angle to the street. The other thing they appear to be doing is extending the inlet to the north. However, it could be that the current drainage structure is not what they thought it was in terms of size, capacity, or condition and they could be doing a redesign.
There is also a streetlight/powerpole right on the curb that would appear to be in the trail or ADA ramp. They may have to wait for the pole to be moved or they may have to do a slight redesign to get around it.
Can you spell “micromanage”?
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Last I checked, I’m paying City government for results. How about if we suspend the politically-motivated judgments until the job is done? We can each give the finished product a grade on timing, budget, design, etc. Then we can argue on each aspect, and on the overall result…minus the politics.
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A personal note to more politically-inclined readers (and the blog owners): I’m not real happy about partisan crap infecting non-political sites like this. There are plenty of other places to post anonymously about political opponents.
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I like Urban Indy because people who disagree (sometimes heatedly) can have POLICY discussions here without the snarky partisan stuff. Plus many of us know one another in real life, sign our names, and occasionally have a (local) beer together.
Agree. There will always be the suspicion of political motivation for infrastructure projects. That is never going to change and when was the last time any politician came out, while in office, and said, “Oh, hey I worked a deal to get this done for my friend so his family could eat?” We can all speculate, but its useless to argue. I’d rather focus on the real built benefits or lack thereof. Besides, while Chris B and I may argue on here, we have shared beers as friends. So that shows how far bickering on an internet message board goes.
Wow. So who are the people making these decisions? Gee, they are POLITICIANS! You cannot write/discuss/debate/argue about this stuff and dismiss politics…can you?! Let’s look at how WHO we elect affects the outcome of these civic projects. Look at every single topic here and tell me how politics and politicians don’t affect he outcomes!
One needs to look no further than the payola between the Ballard Administration and Keystone Construction and the BRParking garage to see evidence to the contrary of your assertions. I can cite countless examples on both sides of the political aisle. It happens. It’s real. To say otherwise is ignorant.
You are right. Politics DO influence projects. We have all considered that water under the bridge. Having a discussion like adults however is the responsible way to conduct yourself. Not by crafting negative langauge with your comments. Leave that style at Indystar or the IBJ
Water under the bridge? I guess you mean that we should just disregard that major factor when it comes to these projects that you all love to write about and discuss. Hey, I like to discuss these thinsg, in detail, as well. But I am not sure that disregarding politics as “water under the bridge” leads to a very fruitful discussion.
I am going to go out on a limb here and draw the conclusion that criticism of the Ballard Administration is taboo. Not sure if you (or anyone of importance here) works for him, or just don’t want to piss off the boys on the 25th floor. But tell me if I am off base here, because as they have reigned over the last 4.5 years and have 3.5 years of “influence” left on all of these civic projects. So, to me, leaving that criticism off the table makes for a much more shallow discussion of the projects. In fact, this site may be more political than so called political sites like advanceindiana.com and ogdenonpolitics and indydemocrat. You guys have the format here for very lively and in depth discussions about actual projects worth hundreds of millions of dollars. So induldge me again once more as to what is and is not allowed here.
Thanks.
I say water under the bridge tongue in cheek. Are you going to walk up to the Mayor and demand money back for this project? Or demand that they change a design feature or that you’d prefer a different contractor? No. So why start name calling? I dont work for the city. Read my profile, I am a product engineer for a private corporation. I don’t argue about the shady economics of the Broad Ripple garage nor do we appreciate some of the other crap going on. But to make juvenile jokes about it is adding no value to the conversation here.
Curt, thanks for the clarification. And let me disclaimer right now…I am not a contractor, I am not an engineer who lost a bid, my perspective is based on years of paying taxes and living in this city and actually caring about how we do business with the taxpayers money. I think Ballard is a fool, surrounded by even bigger fools, but that is my right to have that opinion. He wanted the job, and in fact earned the job through the election (twice) so while I don’t care for him either politically or professionally or personally, he is my mayor and he gets to face my scrutiny. And every taxpayer here also gets that right. So, while your mileage may vary on the importance of politics in these projects, I assume we can agree to remain civil in our discussions and base our views on facts, including the politics of it all. One only need to look at the contractors/engineering firms/developers who have contributed to Ballard over his political career to see the connections. It’s all public record at Indy.gov and go to the Clerks site and look for e campaign finance reports. It’s quite revealing. Enjoy your evening, I am heading out for a beer in the Sawatch.
Chris,
Not sure if I might be misinterpreting your point, but I strongly disagree if you think that it isn’t appropriate to comment on how the project has been designed and is being implemented while it’s ongoing. You said that you pay the government for results, but the details are key in whether the results are worth the money. I think we can all agree that City government does not have a sterling reputation for its design and construction of pedestrian infrastructure, so why should anyone wait until it’s done if they want to raise questions about the design?
1. It’s too late to change the design significantly after the job has been contracted. Thus, I say we should hold our applause and razzberries until it’s done. In any case, it doesn’t rise to a mayor-level of significance to most people. Even if it does…the time to consider that is 2015 when we elect the next mayor and council.
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2. The questions raised by JCW aren’t about design, they are about sequencing and execution of a contracted construction job, and they involve a conclusion that political malfeasance in contract awards must be at the root of sequencing and execution s/he doesn’t like. I don’t think this is the place for that kind of posting.
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3. Some things can only be discovered and ridiculed after the job is “complete” and obvious design issues are exposed in real life. Your pointing out the ridiculousness of the walk-light/constant right turn conflicts at Washington and Southeastern got the signal system redesigned after the fact. By INDOT. And that NEVER happens.
Chris,
I agree that some of the political comments are a bit off-topic and not really related to the design and implementation of the projects.
Regarding the design and implementation though, I strongly recommended raising concerns while it’s ongoing, because I think the City is much more likely to address something while the project is still ongoing as opposed to getting them to come back and revisit it after the project is closed. As you mentioned with Washington & Southeastern, I’d say that was a no-brainer that it needed to be redesigned, but the problem was raised before the project was finished, which probably helped.
You might have also noticed that the City has recently added a ped crossing on the east side of the Wash & SE intersection (although after several months they still don’t have the ped signals turned on). I would speculate that Angie’s List might have lobbied for that improvement, however, it was another issue that was raised and debated while the project was underway, thus, planting the seed that something might need be changed. Obviously, questioning the design before the plans are approved would be ideal (presumes you can obtain the plans from the City), but my main point is that I think you have a lot better chance of getting potential design problems raised if the concerns are mentioned while someone is actually assigned to the project, rather than after the fact.
1. Why? If there is something that isn’t caught by the person/company designing the project, but is caught by the contractor, why not bring it up and address it then. This is work that affects ALL citizens of our city, including the contractor and designer and engineers…assuming they all live here. But many have said who cares where the contractor or engineer works or lives or pays taxes. Agan, politics. And I wonder how much money is being spent/has been spent to redo pretty much every bike lane laid down in the last year. BR Ave as an example. The project was designed dead wrong, implemented even worse, and eventually redone because enough people bitched about it. Couldn’t an experienced contractor, one who is based in Indy and understands the nuances of that stretch of road brought the design flaws up as they took the contract? Thus eliminating all the bitching by the citizens and nearby residents, and avoiding the cost of redoing the project!?
2. That is exactly what I am saying. Payola for government contracting in this city is real.
3. Red designing is free now? I honestly did not know that.
JCW, take your assertions of conspiracy and payola to the (Democrat) prosecutor, Matt Tully, or Cory Schouten at IBJ. Preferably with evidence, as all of them know how to get a story straight.
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Kevin, Curt, Chris…I am reminded of the old saying “don’t get in the mud with pigs because the pigs will enjoy it and you will just get dirty.” This is well beyond open discussion of facts.
Wow, so you are calling me a pig? Stay classy mr Barnett. Stay classy.
Pay to play may be a kinder, gentler way to describe it. I never said it was illegal, I said its what the reality of the situation. I don’t need Tully or Schouten to tell me what I already know.
In other words…..it’s a hot mess!
The efforts now seem to be centered around the drainage related issues. Lots of trenching a distribution box work. Perhaps some of the members of the forum are burying some of their political foes. 😉
Update today as I returned frm being gone for a coule weeks. All I can say is what a complete mess! Several neighbors have had their lawns destyoyed, the pavement the contractors laid down is now either ripped up or damaged by sewer/drain pipes laid on top, and holes and trenches are everywhere. I would guess that they laid the pathway down before putting in the required drain upgrades they told the neighbors about. It’s actually looking much worse than 2 weeks ago.
Does anyone know if they fired the contractor or something? Almost looks like the whole site was vandalized. It’s really sad.
The construction site looks like a construction site? Oh the humanity! Get a grip already! What you’re seeing is not a finished product. Are you an engineer or construction contractor or otherwise in any way qualified to take one glance at the work in progress and be certain they’re doing it all wrong?
LoL. Have you even seen the jobsite?
Yes. Yesterday. And twice more in the last week. Since you ignored my question, I’d say that confirms the answer is no.
So unless unless I am a construction manager or engineer, I am unqualified to make an opinion on a civic project in my area? An area whe I pay taxes and live? What does my occupation have to do with it?
And it was hardly a glance. I have been watching this project very closely. As have many taxpayers and voters in this area. By your logic, and your defensiveness, you must be working on the job?
Pinot much progress except more of a giant mess. It appears 90% of the pavement laid down is now torn up and lots of trenching and drainage work going on. Is this some sort. F screw up and we are going to end up with another cluster F like Virginia Avenue down in Fountain Square? It sure look suspiciously like it is.
JCW,
When you petitioned for signatures in your neighborhood w/your neighbor you were very high on this project (under the Peterson admin) why are you so down on it now??
Also, no asphalt has been removed…it maybe covered w/dirt but it is still there.
Again, look at the project documents drafted by the city (under Perterson) and you will find this project is going as per the city plans, specs and schedule.
Underground drainage work needs to be completed all the way past Chester before anymore pavement will be placed.
Ooooh. So you outed me on UrbanIndy!!! Wow. That adds so much credibility. Who gives a crap.
Here’s what people give a crap about:
1. The project was to start on March 1st and done by Memorial Day. As told to the neighborhood association. True fact. As HST said, the buck stops where? This is absolutely a reflection on the Ballard Administration, and they own this project, not Peterson.
2. No businesses have been affected. But have people’s properties?
3. This is absolutely a great project for the area. No argument here.
4. Not being part of the inner circle urban planners/architects geek squad, I would hope you could enlighten us unwashed masses on why this thing is late, a mess, aesthetically not what we were told/expected…etc.
Christine and many many neighbors lobbied hard to get this project. I sure hope it turns out to meet our expectations. So far, not mine.
Retread that. I am not negative on the project, just asking questions and expecting answers, not BS.
Mayor’s Action Center
City/County Bldg., Ste.2160
317-327-4MAC (4622)
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There is also your neighborhood liason who may be able to give you better answers. Taking your frustrations out here to a group of people who are supportive of the project on its design merits isn’t going to get your questions answered. Furthermore, using profanity and other degrading innuendo isn’t helping your case.
Thanks Curt.
I did not mean to start anything or “out” anyone I was simply sharing the information that is available.
The project documents are available online for anyone w/internet access to view. As anyone familiar w/any construction project knows schedules are effected by many things and are subject to change.
It looks like a typical construction site to me. Luckily, no local business is being impeded in this process