The Town of Zionsville started a pathway corridor study May 22 along Oak Street to explore options to add multi-use pathways.
The study corridor spans from Oak Street to the Blackstone subdivision, on the west end, to C.R. 950 E.
It is anticipated the study will take place over the next few months. The Zionsville Department of Public Works hired V3 Companies to conduct the study.
The 2016 Strategic Trails Implementation Plan identified most requests for new pathways, including 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 beginning the Oak Street corridor study.
The corridor study was one of Mayor Emily Styron’s priorities coming into office and has been a priority of Zionsville Town Council President Jason Plunkett.
“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,” Mayor Emily Styron stated. “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,” Zionsville Department of Public Works Director Lance Lantz stated. “Because some segments will require additional right of way purchased, timelines for future construction are not known at this time.”
