Known for Fast Cars, Indianapolis Takes Up Bicycling

The Indianapolis 500 auto race has given the American city a longtime association with cars. Now, Melanie Haiken reports for Takepart that Indianapolis is one of the most pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly cities in the U. S. Even more remarkable is that the transformation took just five years, the article says.

The car is entrenched in the culture of this Midwestern city. Just five years ago, there was only one bike lane that stretched less than a mile. Today, there are more than 90 miles (145 kilometers) of dedicated cycling paths. Haiken writes that the turnaround began in 2010 when a municipal water and sewer utility was sold for $500 million. The city held more than 50 public meetings to ask residents how the money should be spent.

Those discussions spawned some innovative ideas, such as the Indianapolis Cultural Trail, an eight-mile brick path connecting historic neighborhoods. Rails-to-trails conversions and a new bike share program further strengthened the cycling scene. This September, in a nod to the city’s storied car culture, Blue Indy, an electric car-share service, launched with plans for 200 stations.

Read the full story here.This article originally appeared at Citiscope, a nonprofit news outlet that covers innovations in cities around the world. More at Citiscope.org.