On Oct. 19, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization awarded $75,000 grants for planning projects in Fishers, Greenfield, Indianapolis and Lawrence.
The funding comes from federal planning dollars, which were offered to the respective cities to plan for future projects. Once community needs are pinpointed and plans are developed in the cities, the grantee can find additional public and private financial resources.
Established in 1972, the IMPO plans for and distributes federal transportation funds for highways, transit, bikeways, trails and sidewalks to move people and goods in central Indiana.
Each of the following projects will receive a $75,000 grant:
- City of Lawrence Capital Improvement Plan & Program – Lawrence will establish a Capital Improvement Plan & Program that prioritizes needed infrastructure projects over 20 years and develops a revenue-constrained list for the first five years of the plan period. Engineering Director Sri Venugopalan said project will focus on creating a “solid transportation plan for the whole city, as we didn’t have one before.”
- Charging Lawrence – Lawrence will study and plan for electric vehicle charging stations in the community. The plan will provide the information needed to pursue public-private partnerships for the infrastructure.
“There’s a new study from INDOT about electric charging stations and how Lawrence has several locations great for the charging stations. This grant will help us find a prime location for it, then we need to figure out how to fund the building of the stations,” Venugopalan said.
- City of Fishers Greenway and Trails Study – Fishers will use its grant to produce a citywide greenways study to identify primary pedestrian routes and priority gaps in the pedestrian network. With the new Nickel Plate Trail and Geist Greenway, city leaders want to expand the Fishers 2040 Bike and Pedestrian Map.
- IndyMoves 2.0 – Indianapolis will update the IndyMoves integrated transportation plan, which incorporates the county’s Pedestrian Plan, Greenways Plan and Thoroughfare Plan, as well as the IMPO’s Regional Freight Plan, Regional Safety Plan and relevant plans and policies. The updated plan will help the city identify capital needs.
- Charging Greenfield – Greenfield will study and plan for electric vehicle charging stations in the community. The plan will provide the information needed to pursue public-private partnerships for the infrastructure.
