Bike and Pedestrian Path Project

Writer / Laurie Quinn

On Wednesday, May 18, the Town of Fishers held a community forum for the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan project. Residents of all ages attended to learn more about the goals and people behind the scenes making this concept come to life.

The goals of this master plan are to create and improve connectivity of trails and paths from neighborhoods to key destinations. David George, Fishers Town Council member, spoke to me about his mission to make Fishers a “rideable” community. In the plans is a path/trail that creates a 3- to 3.5-mile loop around downtown Fishers. From this loop, the plan is to add on nearby neighborhoods so families can ride their bikes down to watch a free concert at the Nickel Plate Amphitheater or just go out for a family bike ride for some fresh air and exercise.

Big plans such as this one require planners. This is where Rundell Ernstberger Associates, LLC and Toole Design Group come into the picture to share their expertise and lend a hand to the Town of Fishers. Rundell Ernstberger Associates was co-founded in 1983 by partners Deane Rundell and Eric Ernstberger to provide land planning, urban design and landscape architecture services. Through the years, they have added others, with their staff now including eight registered landscape architects. I spoke with Carl Kincaid, principal of Rundell Ernstberger Associates, and he is very excited about the plans Fishers has for improving existing circulation and conditions for biking and pedestrian use and spreading these paths to other destinations in Fishers.

Toole Design Group was founded in 2003 by Jennifer Toole with the mission of making walking and biking possible for people of all ages. She has gathered a talented group of planners, engineers and landscape architects to assist her vision of providing creative and realistic solutions to communities. A fun fact about Toole Design Group is that more than 80 percent of their staff bike, walk or use public transit to get to work every day.

The Town of Fishers has two employees heavily involved in this project: Sue Harrison and Corey Pressler. Sue works for the planning department and is drafting the Master Plan. Corey is with the Engineering Department and is involved in the design and construction of all trails.

For more information or to provide input and feedback on this project, go to fishers.in.us and click on the Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan link.

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