Indy Residents Rally, Demand Quick Street Safety Fixes
Indianapolis, IN — A powerful coalition of neighbors, small businesses, and dedicated advocates took to the streets Sunday for the Safe Streets Protest, issuing a unified call for the City of Indianapolis to implement immediate and substantial changes to halt the alarming rise in pedestrian and bicyclist injuries and fatalities.
The demonstration, co-hosted by groups including Tomorrow Bookstore, Central Indiana Cycling, Health by Design, Proformus, Safe Streets Indy, and Bike People Indy, highlighted a crisis they say is rooted in a transportation system fundamentally unsafe for everyday movement.
The urgency of the protest is underlined by grim statistics. According to data tracked by Indy Pedestrian Safety Crisis (a Safe Streets Indy project), Indianapolis has already seen 639 nonfatal crashes and 29 fatal crashes this year alone.
The protest on Mass and College Avenue also served as a memorial, honoring victims of traffic violence, including Brandon Breedlove, a 27-year-old U.S. Air Force veteran killed in a hit-and-run in March 2024 near the site. Organizers were critical of the city’s response, calling temporary measures like barricades and minimal paint “the bare minimum” and insufficient to address the crisis.
The Safe Streets Protest follows a deeply emotional gathering one week prior: the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. Co-hosted by Central Indiana Cycling and Health by Design at the busy intersection of Shelby and Raymond streets, the vigil included grieving families, elected officials, and community members.
This previous event shined a light on the dangerous design of Raymond Street, a corridor where fast-moving traffic, funneled by nearby I-65 on and off-ramps, tragically impacts a residential neighborhood. Among the honored victims were the loved ones of four-year-old Alan Marcelo Salas-Garcia.
Speakers at the protest emphasized that solutions are available and must be implemented without delay.
State Senator Andrea Hunley stressed the need for leadership: “This crisis requires leadership, urgency, and solutions that center human life… Other cities are acting quickly with proven tools. Indianapolis can do the same. We cannot keep grieving children, parents, and neighbors while waiting years for safety projects.”
Jake Budler, owner of Tomorrow Bookstore, echoed this sentiment, stating, “Safer streets in Indianapolis are absolutely possible… Our city can act much faster and more decisively to design streets that protect people instead of putting them at risk.”
The coalition presented city leaders with a clear set of demands for rapid, transparent action:
More Funding: Significantly increase dedicated funds for safety and prioritize safe streets initiatives.
Faster Work: Implement a Quick Build program to deploy fast, inexpensive safety infrastructure.
Increase Transparency: Provide timely updates on data, projects, and funding, and allow public comment at Vision Zero meetings
Andrea Watts of Health by Design made a powerful concluding statement: “We know what works. Things like universal daylighting, protected bike lanes, and rapid safety interventions can save lives. Traffic deaths are a policy choice.”
The event was rooted in community, featuring a vigil for Mr. Breedlove, free bike repair, music, and a vision boarding activity—underscoring that the goal is not to oppose vehicles, but to create a predictable transportation system where all modes can coexist safely.
