In summer 2018, Carmel residents along 126th Street from Keystone to Hazel Dell parkways might notice some digging along the side of the road in the right-of-way. That’s because the City of Carmel is constructing 10-foot multi-use pathways to replace the existing sidewalk and areas where it is missing.
Residents in the area have been asking for new paths for some time. There are two schools nearby, and parents are seeking a safe way to walk children to class. The project will include a pedestrian bridge over Cool Creek. The $2 million project will be 80 percent funded through a Transportation Alternatives Programs grant from INDOT. The city will pay for the remaining 20 percent. That total number includes construction, design, engineering, obtaining right-of-way and more.
Once complete, this new pathway will ultimately connect much of Carmel’s eastside, according to David Littlejohn, the city’s alternative transportation coordinator. He said a cyclist will be able to travel from the White River Greenway near Conner Prairie all the way across 126th Street to the Monon Trail.
“Our whole goal for building these multi-use paths and the full network that we have in Carmel is to help develop that bicycle culture and the ability to get to one place from another no matter what level of cycling experience someone has,” he said.
To help explain the project and answers questions, City Councilors Sue Finkam and Bruce Kimball will hold a meeting for the public at 6 p.m. on Aug. 23 at the Clay Middle School Auditorium. Finkam said she thinks this project will promote cyclist safety. She understands some affected residents might have questions about how the path might affect their front yards or the public right-of-way.
Construction could begin in July 2018 and continue into the fall.
