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Chatham Arch 10th Street Traffic Calming Initiative

Indianapolis, Indiana

Key Services:

→ Cultural and Asset-Based Mapping

→ Community Engagement

→ Quality of Life Planning

→ Place-Based Narratives

→ Behavioral & Built Environment Data

Partners:

Indianapolis Department of Public Works

Chatham Arch Neighborhood Association

Press:

AARP grant seeks to enhance pedestrian safety in Indianapolis neighborhood

Chatham Arch cracks down on speeding with traffic-calming project

FOX59 TONIGHT: Tactical Urbanism Changes Streets in Indianapolis

Chatham Arch Historic District logo with a stylized arch symbol.

What→

Our tactical urbanism project in the historic Chatham Arch neighborhood of Indianapolis will transform two key intersections, 10th Street & Park Avenue and 10th Street & Broadway—into age-safer spaces with curb bulb outs. We are partnering with AARP to complete the neighborhood’s vision.

Led by the Chatham Arch Neighborhood Association, our approach hopes to utilize volunteer-driven community-building activities to implement temporary traffic-calming measures at these intersections.

In step with priorities of Indianapolis’s recent Vision Zero initiative, we will enhance pedestrian safety, strengthen social ties, and create a more age-friendly streetscape. With over 31% of Chatham Arch residents over the age of 50, this project directly addresses the needs of a significant portion of the neighborhood.

The project will align with Indianapolis Department of Public Works standards for Tactical Urbanism and will include public art, flex posts, and bulb outs as eligible projects under city code. The idea is to create a project that can be used to collect data and help prioritize these intersections for permanent infrastructure improvements.

Why? →

10th Street is currently a nightmare to cross. Consistent feedback from Chatham Arch neighborhood residents makes clear that speeding 10th Street poses significant challenges to pedestrian safety, particularly for older adults and those with limited mobility.

A walkable environment contributes to better physical health. Studies indicate that walkability improvements encourage older adults to remain active, lowering rates of cardiovascular disease, obesity, and arthritis. Accessible, pedestrian-friendly streets also promote independence and reduce reliance on vehicles, increasing opportunities for daily exercise and social interaction. Traffic calming at these two key intersections will increase the quality of life and make it easier for our vulnerable residents to get around.

Process →

The process launched with a public survey in summer 2024, capturing resident concerns and desires around pedestrian safety, traffic speed, and street design. In fall 2024, a dedicated Traffic Task Force was established by the Chatham Arch Neighborhood Association to guide next steps and coordinate with city agencies. Together, we studied neighborhood crash data, pedestrian volumes, and near-miss reports—then translated those insights into design criteria for safer intersections.

In early 2025, a community-wide engagement survey was conducted to gather input on visual preferences and design elements. Residents selected a vibrant polygonal pattern reflecting the neighborhood’s artistic spirit as the preferred aesthetic for curb bulb-outs and intersection murals.

The final design not only calms traffic through painted extensions and visual narrowing but also celebrates neighborhood identity and sets the stage for permanent infrastructure improvements. With support from AARP and in alignment with Indianapolis’s Vision Zero initiative, the Chatham Arch Tactical Urbanism Project shows how grassroots engagement and design experimentation can lead to real change, block by block.

An illustration of a street corner with sidewalks, trees, street lamps, and parked and moving cars. Pedestrians are walking, some with umbrellas or bags. The street is labeled "TOGETHER" in large yellow and white letters, and there are colorful dots on the sidewalks. The top left corner features the text "Idea 1" and a small logo with colored squares labeled "proof for mus."
A digital illustration of a city street corner with a community plan titled "Idea 2." It features landscaped planters with colorful flowers, trees, walking pedestrians, cyclists, parked and moving cars, street lamps, and a bus on the street. There is a logo in the top right corner and street markings, including the street name "LORRAINE STREET" written in large white letters along the road.
Illustration of a street intersection with bike lanes, sidewalks, trees, street lamps, and pedestrians. Cars and a bus are on the road, with some people walking, biking, and talking.
Colorful street art installations on a city sidewalk, surrounded by pedestrians, trees, and parked cars, with street lamps and a city street with vehicles and crosswalks.

WINNER!!

Our initial concepts for the bulb out painting led to polygons (Idea 4) being selected from a public survey conducted May - July 2025.

Two women in safety vests painting a crosswalk on the street with white paint, while a person off-camera paints next to them. There are orange and white traffic cones and barriers in the background.
Four people standing near a bright orange 'Road Construction Ahead' sign on a city street. Two of them are wearing high-visibility vests, one person is sweeping leaves, and a fourth is talking to the group. Cones are set up along the road, and trees and houses are in the background.
Group of people painting crosswalk lines on a city street, some wearing yellow safety vests, in a residential area with trees and houses in the background.
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