Indy (Gently) Nudges Developers Away From Parking, Toward Transit

Indianapolis is about as car-reliant as it gets for a big American city. Census data from 2013 puts the share of city commuters who drive to work alone at 82 percent. Another 10 percent do carpool, though predominantly with just two people total in the vehicle, while only 2 percent take public transportation and another 2 percent walk. If you squint you can see the bicycle commute share: roughly half a percent.

Local planners do seem to recognize the problem, and they have some ideas in the works to change it. The city has drafted a major new zoning plan called Indy Rezone, the first such update in decades, which takes some meaningful if modest steps toward encouraging alternative transportation modes. Here’s one planner speaking about the Rezone vision to the Indianapolis Star: