Bloomington Indiana

Reporter Joe Hren asks: Convention leaders pushing expansion along, but where's the parking?

Easy-Peasy! Provide a great pedestrian area, lots of buses and bike-shares, and we're in like Flynn! Who needs parking?

"Architects presented updated renderings and floor plans at a recent CIB meeting. The refinements help get the project within budget...The expansion amounts to about 61,000 square feet"

https://indianapublicmedia.org/news/convention-leaders-pushing-expansion-along-but-wheres-the-parking.php

@bloomington_in

#CarsRuinEverything

Kirkwood Avenue to close for annual Outdoor Dining Program

"Predictable economic stability and improved safety to Kirkwood.

“Students are able to walk through the streets. They’re going across the streets without worrying about cars, Ubers, DoorDash. It brings a sense of order and safety to that area,” said Costello."

My only complaint: "Some residents voiced concern over accessibility issues" but 40% of people with disabilities don't drive anyway.

https://indianapublicmedia.org/news/kirkwood-avenue-to-close-for-annual-outdoor-dining-program.php

@bloomington_in

Bloomington Peace Choir performing at the library for Martin Luther King Jr. Day @bloomington_in

Mr. Hogan Goes To Washington

"So, I picked up the credentials from the ... Inauguration Committee today and asked if there was a schedule. They were very hostile, to be honest, and I thought, “That’s weird.” Then it started leaking that all the ... inauguration activities, even the parade, would be indoors. Even worse, there would only be eight credentialed photographers allowed to photograph it."

https://bloomingtonian.com/2025/01/17/column-locked-out-in-the-cold-in-d-c/?utm%5C_source=rss&utm%5C_medium=rss&utm%5C_campaign=column-locked-out-in-the-cold-in-d-c

@bloomington_in

Law Lane Pedestrian Safety Audit

"Last year, a pedestrian was struck crossing Law Lane at Fee Lane in Bloomington, Indiana. Was this a one-off accident, or has there been a pattern of crashes at that intersection? Are there changes that could be made to improve pedestrian safety in the area?"

https://mark.stosberg.com/law-lane/

@bloomington_in @markstos

#UrbanPlanning

B Square Bulletin shuts down after five years

This is a real loss for the Bloomington community. The B Square has been the best and often only source of local government news since its beginning. We will miss your great reporting @chronicallydave !

@bloomington_in

https://bsquarebulletin.com/2024/12/20/five-years-one-final-b-square-bulletin-thank-you/

#NewsDesert

Cranberry cider at Lennie's

@bloomington_in

#beer

Apparently Bloomington Transit's Blink service is just a passthru to Uber, except with a much more limited service area

The idea was to provide an on-demand ride service for limited locations where the buses don't run. It's supposed to cost $2, but if I select one of these options, it will tell me that the cost is actually $10 or so, whatever Uber is charging.

@bloomington_in

#transit

Bloomington 2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan

The Bloomington‐Monroe County Metropolitan Planning Organization invites the public to share their input on local transportation projects as part of the 2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP). The MTP will guide improvements to roads, bike paths, public transit, and other transportation systems across Bloomington, Ellettsville, and urbanized Monroe County for the next 25 years.

https://bloomington.in.gov/news/2024/11/19/6103

@bloomington_in #UrbanPlanning

I reported IU blocking sidewalks with their traffic signs

City says they will request IU not do that. We'll see if it does any good. Mostly they've stopped storing gameday traffic cones and gates on the sidewalks so I do have some hope.

@bloomington_in #IndianaUniversity #accessibility

Another new tech park coming to Ellettsville

"A tech park has been proposed in Ellettsville that would include manufacturing, retail, and office space, as well as homes and apartments...would cover about 242 acres north of State Road 46 and south of West Chafin Chapel Road."

This seems like a lot of unnecessary sprawl. And, "A traffic study supports the need for traffic lights and for SR 46 to be expanded to a five-lane road" - Yuck!

@bloomington_in #UrbanPlanning

This guy! Glad to see a space for Bloomingtonians that's not on that other site.

The Bloomington city council seems dysfunctional as all get-out. I wonder what's going on over there.

"I write to you today challenged by the pattern which seems to be common practice within our legislative branch of government, and which is in direct conflict with one of the values I would like to believe we all share: transparent and open government."

#BloomingtonINCouncil @bloomington_in

https://bsquarebulletin.com/2024/11/09/bloomington-mayor-rebukes-city-council-for-lack-of-public-deliberations-on-hpc-appointment/

Beautiful new bike rack at Academy Sports!

#biketooter @bloomington_in

https://bikerackmap.com/rlms/entry/405/

Model train layout for 1940's Monon

Lafayette to Greencastle to Bloomington. The good old days!

@bloomington_in #trains

https://www.trains.com/mrr/how-to/track-plan-database/the-s-scale-chicago-indianapolis-louisville-layout/

Washington Street traffic calming

Bloomington's Washington Street is getting some speed humps and some twiddling of the parking. I suggested they might consider a parking-protected bike lane, but I suspect restriping is out-of-scope here.

Leave your feedback here:

https://bloomington.in.gov/engineering/projects/washington

@bloomington_in #cycling

I just added some max_speed= tags for #OpenStreetMap in Bloomington, Indiana.

Our city code has a default speed limit 25 mph. Exceptions are published in a table in the city code.

It seems possible that adding the correct lower-than-default speed limits from city code to OpenStreetMap could reduce the likelihood that routing algorithms would route car traffic there, which could in turn keep the street safer for other road users.

Ref: https://library.municode.com/in/bloomington/codes/code/_of/_ordinances?nodeId=TIT15VETR%5C_CH15.24SPRE

@bloomington_in

This are the designed, protected routes in Bloomington currently mapped in #OpenStreetMap

The newer 7-Line is notably absent. And that disconnect bit up north? Those are the trails in Cascades Park.

@bloomington_in

How cities can use shared micromobility data for transportation planning and policy

This study, focused on Bloomington and Washington, D.C, gleaned insights on micromobility from Lime trip data. (Bloomington's response was to summarily throw Lime out on their micromobile ear, for some reason. I do not understand this.)

"About a quarter of street segments have bike infrastructure, yet these lanes account for nearly 60% of
Lime trips."

@bloomington_in #cycling

https://bikeleague.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/League-of-American-Bicyclists-Mobility-Insights-Competition-2024-Report-3.pdf

Advertisements on the outside of city buses?

A lot of interest in this article about whether buses should have full-wrapped ads. There's no bus that comes within a mile of my house, so I'm not too concerned one way or the other.

@bloomington_in #bus

https://bsquarebulletin.com/2024/09/19/whose-bus-is-that-bloomington-transit-mulls-ads/

Fullerton Pike construction almost complete

"This third phase spans 1.25 miles of road construction from Rockport Road to the roundabout on South Rogers Street. Ultimately, it will form a new connection to I-69 in the southwest part of the county."

Cost was projected to be about $15 million dollars back in 2019. I wonder how well they kept it under budget?

https://indianapublicmedia.org/news/fullerton-pike-connection-approaches-completion.php

@bloomington_in

N Dunn St Multiuse Path

Oh, this will make my commute way easier! A few years from construction though.

"This project has been prioritized by the Metropolitan Planning Organization to receive federal funding supporting construction of a multiuse path on North Dunn Street from the Indiana 45 Bypass to East Clover Lane. As funding allows, the project may include additional multiuse path construction north of these limits."

@bloomington_in #MUP

https://bloomington.in.gov/engineering/projects/northdunnpath

Skywalk a controversy in new convention center

What do we think about this, urbanists? Is this really a deal breaker?

"The design should not include ‘skywalk’ connections …, which would limit convention attendee opportunities to interact with and patronize downtown businesses. Skywalks would also undermine the quality of public space in the downtown, in contradiction to city plans and goals."

@bloomington_in #UrbanPlanning

https://bsquarebulletin.com/2024/09/05/convention-center-expansion-takes-steps-ahead-with-sharp-words-from-2-bloomington-councilmembers/

How should parking be priced in college towns?

"These places also sometimes experience surges in demand for access to the central area that are seasonal or otherwise cyclical. In the summer, they are surreal—all or most of the amenities intended for a larger, denser population with far fewer people competing for them. Football Saturdays present the opposite problem: the city’s population may double half a dozen days a year"

@bloomington_in #parking #transit

https://gregshill.substack.com/p/how-should-parking-be-priced-in-college