A park will open this fall to teach people how to use bicycles around Indianapolis.
Nine13sports primarily designed its Bicycle Skills and Safety Park as a place for kids to learn to ride bikes and navigate traffic. It is also equipped to teach adults. The local nonprofit aims to promote access and education about biking.
The new park is under construction on Indianapolis’ near northwest side, at the intersection of West 29th and Elmira streets. That property was previously an undeveloped lot.
Nine13sports founder and CEO Tom Hanley said the land has lived many lives.
“But over the last few years, was really a home for trash, illegal trash dumping, and other illicit activity,” he said.
The site will feature two tracks, one paved and one dirt. Each track will feature different intersection types and obstacles to help riders simulate different situations safely.
Staff members will also be on hand to help teach people how to ride a bike.
A large portion of the mission of Nine13sports is to promote access to people from all socio-economic backgrounds. To fulfill that mission, several dozen bikes and a variety of protective equipment will be on loan to use within the bounds of the park. Different types of bikes will be available, including various children’s bikes, adult bikes, recumbent bikes and hand bikes.
The Nine13sports Bicycle Skills and Safety Park is not a new idea. This type of project is traditionally known as a traffic garden, popular around Europe in the mid 20th century. The tactic is also used in several U.S. cities.
Anthony Cherolis is the executive director of nonprofit Central Indiana Cycling. He says the park will be an ideal way to equip kids with the skills necessary to enjoy Indianapolis’ transportation infrastructure safely.
"The opportunity is that the Indianapolis region and the city have hundreds of miles of multi-use trails, rail trails, and separated bike routes, serving a lot of our neighborhoods and communities,” Cherolis said.
Hanley estimates park construction costs around $500,000. He says Nine13sports partnered with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, the CIBA Foundation and Indiana University Indianapolis’ Diabetes Impact Project.
He says recent rain delayed construction slightly, but the park is still on track to open in October.
Contact WFYI Digital Producer and Reporter Jeremy Reuben at jreuben@wfyi.org
