City counts cyclists to gauge use

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - The city has installed three bicycle counters under bike lanes in Indianapolis.

The city has 65 miles of bike lanes, but the goal is to have 200. The city spent $7,500 to find out if people will use them.

The counters were placed at Lafayette Road and 71st Street, the bike lane just north of 10th Street and White River Parkway and at Shelby and Sanders streets in Fountain Square.

The cycling community says cycling has grown in Indianapolis.

“It’s always been a part of the Indiana community. I think what's cool is how much Mayor Ballard has brought it to the forefront with his attention to bike lanes and just building the whole cycle culture,” says Jay Hardcastle, marketing manager with BGI Fitness.

Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard has set his sights on making Indianapolis a cycling community. The city installed miles of bike lanes, even creating a safety barrier in Fountain Square. Now the city will find out exactly how green Indianapolis is when it comes to cyclist commuters.

“It really helps us answer questions about when people are using the bike lanes and the busier thoroughfares. That way we'll have that knowledge base for future projects,” explains Department of Public Works spokesman Lesley Malone.

Counters have been placed far beneath the pavement. Each counter cost the city $2,500, but the installation was part of existing re-pavement projects. The data collected is immediate and the city hopes those numbers will support their plan to grow.

“Over the next 10 or so years the connectivity plan is going to grow. We're looking at over 200 miles of bike lanes in Indianapolis,” says Malone.

Those within the cycling community are confident the city's plans will happen, but they say the key in making it a success is safety.

“We’re sort of at a point where there's a lot more bicyclists on the road but the motorists are still not accustomed to it as they are in other cities, and the cyclists still have to accept all of their responsibilities,” says Hardcastle.

In September the city conducted manual counters at several locations. They found in some of the most popular spots on the Monon Trail, more than 300 cyclists were using the trail each day.