This view of 16th Street shows a new landscaped median, pedestrian bridge, and a view of a new hotel just southeast of the track.

This view of IMS from Crawfordsville Road at Georgetown Road shows flags, banners and digital screens or artwork lining the exterior of the grandstands. New trees and plaza space for vendor tents help create a festive atmosphere.

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This vision sees Main Street as more of a traditional “main street” with pedestrian-scaled, historic buildings with large storefront windows, awnings and street cafes, landscaping and historic lighting. A median in the center of the street would break up the concrete and provide opportunities for landscaping and a pedestrian crossing refuge. Existing buildings would be fixed up and returned to their original character, while infill buildings would be sensitive to this historic quality.

Above: Main Street has a scale and style of a more traditional main street in this vision. Buildings are pedestrian oriented with awnings and large windows, and the street has extensive landscaping and street furniture. Below: New awnings, rooftop gardens, outdoor plaza cafes and murals can transform existing buildings and add tremendous character.

This sketch illustrates “dressing up” an existing building at 15th Street with new awnings, windows, and a rooftop garden.

Above: In the short-term, auto-oriented buildings such as this can receive new landscaping and plazas to contribute to the pedestrian-oriented street. Below: Cross-section of Main Street showing retail shops, median and landscaping.

Left: A park at 10th and Main Street provides Allison workers a great place to take a lunch break while giving the community a new gathering place. Water fountains, benches, picnic tables, a playground and lots of shade trees complete the park.

This vision addresses the conflict between pedestrians and vehicles along 16th Street by separating the two. Sixteenth Street is sub merged below grade between the railroad bridge and a new roundabout intersection with Crawfordsville Road. This provides the opportunity for uninhibited grade-level connections between a new retail and entertainment area and the track itself. The stretch of 16th Street would be a truly world-class park way with extensive landscaping, decorative walls, banners, flags, lights and well designed bridges. Underground parking garages beneath the new entertainment district would be accessible from the submerged street, while a ramp at Polco Street would bring cars from 16th Street up to grade level.

Below: Pedestrian bridges connect the retail and entertainment area and the transit hub with the track, providing safe and direct connections between the two.

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Like the other visions, a rapid transit connection could be an important catalyst to redevelopment of the area. A transit hub could link Speedway with other destinations like Downtown Indianapolis, the airport, shopping malls, office and industrial clusters, and parks. Such a link would provide an instant connection for the millions of visitors each year that the convention industry Downtown attracts, allowing them to visit the world-famous track. They would support the proposed retail and entertainment destinations, which could evolve into Indy’s newest “cultural district.”

A pedestrian bridge over a submerged 16th Street would provide a direct connection to a rapid transit hub, giving race fans unparalleled access to the track year-round.

A transit line can also share right-of-way with a greenway, as shown in this cross-section view. This vision uses a shared right-of-way arrangement once the greenway and transit line join up at Allison.

Any transit hub should be surrounded by retail, office and/or residential development to maximize the impact of the investment.