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- If you live in certain areas in Indianapolis, you've noticed there's no place to walk.
The city has 3,000 miles of sidewalks and now there's a push to build even more. Citizen concerns prompted the action.
On her 66th birthday, Shirley Shannon is walking home from the store, opting for parking lots and the grass, careful to stay away from busy Michigan Road.
"But I don't get out there. I see some people walking over there but I don't get out there 'cause I'm afraid I'll get run over!" she said.
On 54th Street near Keystone, Erika Lindgren is facing the same problem.
"It's kind of scary. There's cars, there's potholes. They're trying to dodge the potholes and I'm trying to dodge them!" said Lindgren.
The lack of sidewalks and citizen complaints prompted the city to take action. Adding or re-constructing 63 miles of sidewalks as part of "Rebuild Indy", an ongoing $150 million push to improve infrastructure.
In the past, city policy was not to build new sidewalks in areas that didn't already have them. That's because city crews had a hard enough time maintaining sidewalks that existed. But now that building policy has changed.
"We would love to put sidewalks in every neighborhood," said Sarah Holsapple, Department of Public Works.
City officials say that's not possible due to the high cost - $68 for every foot of sidewalk. Federal funds have been secured to cover much of the cost of multi-use paths on 62nd Street and 71st Street on the northeast side as well as Michigan Road on the northwest side. These paths are big enough for wheelchairs, bicycles and pedestrians.
"The big difference is, it's a little bigger than a sidewalk. It's about ten feet wide. A sidewalk is about six feet wide and a sidewalk is made of concrete where it's made of asphalt," said Holsapple.
On Michigan Road, construction on a large portion of the path has already begun. It's scheduled to be complete by the fall, which is welcome news to Shirley Shannon.
"It'll be great, 'cause then I won't have a problem," she said.