The Town of Zionsville has started a pathway corridor study along Oak Street to explore options to add multi-use pathways. The Department of Public Works (DPW) engaged V3 Companies to develop the study.
The study corridor spans Oak Street from the Blackstone subdivision on the west end to CR 950 East on the east end. It is anticipated the study will take place over the next few months.
The 2016 Strategic Trails Implementation Plan identified the majority of requests for new pathways included routes along Zionsville Road and Oak Street and completing the Big-4 Rail Trail to the north and south. With the Zionsville Road project complete and the Zionsville Road Trailhead under construction, and the Big-4 Rail Trail north and south expansion nearly complete, the Town is now beginning the Oak Street corridor study. This corridor study was one of Mayor Emily Styron’s priorities coming into office and has been a priority of Town Council President Jason Plunkett as well.
“We have heard from residents who live in the western areas of town that they want to be able to bike and walk to downtown Zionsville and enjoy the shops, restaurants and special events,” said Mayor Emily Styron. “I am pleased this corridor study has started – an important first step to understanding the feasibility of added connectivity along Oak Street.”
Because a pathway on Oak Street would take years to develop, it is anticipated that the pathways will be added in phases. A combination of off-road pathways and on-road pathways for cyclists will be considered.
“The entire corridor is a multi-year construction project and will likely be broken into phases to make them affordable,” said DPW Director Lance Lantz. “Because some segments will require additional right of way purchased, timelines for future construction are not known at this time.”