Bike Indianapolis calls for ‘reimagined snow removal plan’ to consider cyclists, pedestrians

INDIANAPOLIS — Bike Indianapolis, the city’s bicycle advocacy group, is calling on the Indianapolis-Marion County City-County Council to include the needs of pedestrians and cyclists in a “reimagined snow removal plan” to make the streets safe and fun for everyone.

This comes after members of the council questioned officials with the Indianapolis Department of Public Works regarding its snow removal policies, specifically after recent snow impacted Central Indiana multiple times over the last month.

According to a news release from Bike Indianapolis, the group said that they agree with the council’s call for change to snow removal policies. However, the group emphasized that the clearance also must be considered for non-automobile infrastructure “to ensure safety and accessibility for all residents.”

“People do not stop walking or rolling because there is snow on the ground. Thus, clearing our trails, bike lanes, and facilitating usable sidewalks is essential for safety, accessibility, and economic activity,” Jakob Morales, the advocacy committee chair for the group said in the release. “While we commend the Department of Public Works for plowing the Monon Trail, this action alone falls short. Forcing pedestrians to choose between navigating dangerous streets or treacherous sidewalks undermines our commitment to Vision Zero in Indianapolis.”

The group said that snow clearance is an item that they believe needs to be covered in the action plan by the city’s Vision Zero Task Force, a plan due by July 1. According to previous reports, the task force was created last year, centered around an initiative that aims to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries in the city of Indianapolis by 2035.

The release said that the group would like to see certain things included in that plan related to snow removal, including:

• A minimum percent of focused labor to be spent on bike lanes, trails and sidewalks once plows are deployed
• A bike infrastructure network to be included in the Indy Snow Force viewer for real-time tracking
• Enforcement of existing laws and fines surrounding the snow clearing of sidewalks along arterials
• Creation of a grant system to give community organizations the chance to purchase snow clearing equipment.

“Snow removal is just one of many geographical challenges to improving safety in Indianapolis, which spans nearly 400 square miles,” Morales said in the release. “Creative solutions are necessary to overcome this. Citizens are responsible for snow removal on sidewalks, so providing grants to fund snow removal equipment would unite us to manage snow more efficiently. The Vision Zero Task Force needs to incorporate snow removal into their Action Plan.”

For more information about Bike Indianapolis, click here.