City Expanding Bike Lanes, Education

Nic Nihiser remains in critical condition Wednesday, suffering from brain damage after being hit while he was riding down Delaware Street in downtown Indianapolis early Saturday. While police search for the driver who left the scene of the accident, other cyclists want to know what the city is doing to increase their safety.

Joe Shelly is one of the growing number of people in Indianapolis who commute to work by bicycle. He, like many other cyclists, enjoys the expanded bike lanes, but would like to see more.

"I think having the bike lanes and expanding on what we have now would only be good for the city," Shelly said. "It would certainly cut down of traffic congestion."


City planners say they're working on it. Indianapolis mayor Greg Ballard made bicycle lanes a priority in the past year and it's already made an impact. There will be 24 miles of new lanes painted on roads by the end of the year. The 15 year master plan will feature roughly 200 miles of lanes.

As director of the Indianapolis Office of Sustainability, Karen Haley has overseen Mayor Ballard's plan. But she says the added lanes come with added responsibility.

"You have to treat the bike just like you would a car," she said.

Haley says that simple concept, has quickly become a bigger problem than the lack of lanes themselves, which is why the city is set to unveil a cycling educational campaign geared toward drivers, walkers and cyclists by the end of the year.

"It's kind of like a chicken and an egg problem," she said. "We want bicyclists to use the lanes. We want more lanes on the road, but we've got to get the cyclists out there to help educate the motorists too."

"It can't do any harm," Joe Shelly said.

He says that's because, the quickest way to make his commute safer is for everyone to learn how to share the road.

"There are still instances where even though there are signs saying yield to bikes, you know, it's like we're not there, so you just have to keep your wits about you. It's the same thing as if you were driving."