OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Indianapolis Greenways Development Committee Meeting - September 25, 2025

Other Meetings (A-H) — Thursday, September 25, 2025
BodyIndianapolis, Indiana
SessionOther Meetings (A-H)
DateThursday, September 25, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:04:08

Transcript — Verbatim
0:01

We'll have a few more people that will trickle in and when we get to a quorum, we'll go back and uh do the minutes approval.

0:09

Um we'll start into discussion topics.

0:12

The first one uh on the list is a restroom pilot.

0:16

Uh we've been talking with different organizations around the community for most of this year about what it would take to do a pilot, see how it goes, see what the costs are.

0:28

Uh I recently came across a company, believe it or not, called Throne.

0:35

And uh Throne does portable restrooms, you know, full service, they put them in, they maintain they uh take care of them.

0:43

I have reached out to them to find out what it would take to do a pilot with their uh product.

0:51

I'm not yet heard back, so I can't tell you any more than there's one more to talk about.

0:57

Um I think at this point we probably ought to be thinking about this as something that we would do starting in the spring, so we'd get more time to be out there and grab gather some data on it so over the co over the winter we can sort of lock that in and try to lock down some funding.

1:20

I've talked to a couple uh local philanthropists who have at least expressed an interest in funding it.

1:27

Um I know that there are a couple other organizations that might kick in some money as well, so we wrap some numbers around this is probably something we could get done for spring.

1:41

Um so at this point we're just trying to understand what it costs would be report that back to the parks.

1:48

Or one about remember uh well starting with a what would it cost for one and seeing where that sits and how much money we can raise to try to do more than one.

1:58

And then Craig, do you have uh is there like a um uh a ratio of like laying uh miles and drill miles or all that numbers of the number of atoms or the uh overall network?

2:15

Uh the the recommendation, Mr.

2:20

Flank.

2:20

I did a memo or would you try to four reasons for that?

2:25

I don't know if you've got it.

2:26

Uh Mr.

2:27

Flink is uh literally a world recognized expert.

2:33

He's consulted on greenways throughout the US and all over Europe on greenways, and uh uh lucky enough to sit next to him at the table uh where he spoke, and so I said to him, is there such a thing?

2:54

And he said at a minimum one restroom every five miles of trail is is a useful rule of thumb.

3:06

He didn't think that was perfect by any means, but I it was an absolute minimum besides older one in the whole network and and uh use our and the um that's dad C said what I use is some rules on for can he does design consulting and consulting with government units um that's his minimum so we'd have to figure out do we want to do multiples on on the same trail to try to test that density, or do you just want to try them in places that would get heavy usage to see what kind of burden I think we'd have to talk about which one of those makes the most sense is there anyway monetize though at all or advertising results?

4:12

I don't know.

4:13

I my guess would be not monetizing the like I know yeah, I my guess would be not because there are so many of the the Greenway's rules about advertising.

4:25

But that's something we could look into.

4:27

We could ask.

4:29

Yeah.

4:31

There was a moment where I was talking with Indianapolis Fabrications, I think it was about this right.

4:36

Was that the company?

4:37

Yep.

4:37

Uh because they maybe could replicate it.

4:39

The question would be whether or not it meets what requirements and standards the city would need.

4:45

But you know that is that like this throne company that you're talking about?

4:50

Should we like see if they're less I have asked them for a quote and I their quote came back somewhere around 20,000?

5:01

Yeah.

5:03

I have not heard back from Throne.

5:04

I don't know what their number is.

5:05

Okay.

5:08

Yep.

5:09

And that's that's not me.

5:10

That's just here it is.

5:12

Yeah.

5:12

For how long?

5:14

That's to hold it.

5:15

Oh, to purchase.

5:17

Yeah.

5:17

Okay.

5:18

Did we say that was higher though?

5:20

Well, I it was higher than I thought it would be.

5:22

Okay.

5:22

Because I mean it's a converted uh train car.

5:25

Sure, yeah.

5:26

But there are two sources of in information in the city government.

5:32

Uh one's the Office of Public Safety.

5:35

Uh, which I've talked about before, they bought these shipping container uh retrofitted restroom like the ones down in the circle.

5:45

And are they bought four of them and they've located them in various areas in downtown that they can move?

5:52

So presumably those are compliant appropriate scale.

5:57

And secondly, if we could identify the right person or first sites, uh parks has gotta have people who are experts on restrooms because the restrooms we have the public restrooms are all parks.

6:17

And and they're servicing these things, and they're making um uh or somebody is and and they're making agreements with rental companies, like I mean my uh sorry beloved Eagle Creek.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Parks and Recreation█████████████████████████████████████████████54%
Public Engagement████████████████19%
Public Works█████████████16%
Trail-Friendly Business Planning██████7%
Legal and Liability███4%
Summary of Proceedings

Indianapolis Greenways Development Committee Meeting - September 25, 2025

Note: The agenda lists the meeting date as September 24, 2025, but the provided timestamp indicates September 25, 2025. This summary uses the September 25 date as instructed.

The Indianapolis Greenways Development Committee met on September 25, 2025, to discuss a restroom pilot program, develop a trail-friendly business initiative, announce upcoming ribbon cuttings, and receive an update on the Greenways Implementation Plan. No formal votes were taken as the committee lacked a quorum for voting; the meeting focused on discussion and action steps.

Discussion Items

  • Restroom Pilot Program: The committee discussed the need for restrooms along the city's greenway network. A member cited a rule of thumb from greenway expert Mr. Flink: at least one restroom every five miles. With approximately 150 miles of greenways, that would require about 30 restrooms. The member reported contacting a company called "Throne" for portable restroom quotes but had not yet received a response. Another company, Indianapolis Fabrications, quoted roughly $20,000 for a purchased unit. The committee considered different types of restrooms, from portable units to shipping container conversions used by the city's Office of Public Safety. Some members expressed frustration that the Department of Public Works (DPW) lacks a designated person responsible for greenway restrooms and urged DPW to assign staff. There was debate about whether to conduct a pilot with one unit or multiple units, and whether to first establish success metrics. The committee agreed to move forward with a pilot starting in spring 2026, focusing on getting cost estimates, identifying locations, and developing evaluation criteria. A member noted that the only existing restroom on the greenway system (at Canterbury Park, installed in 2012) is often unavailable, underscoring the need for a successful pilot.

  • Trail-Friendly Business Planning: A member presented research on Fort Wayne's trail-friendly business program, which requires only a water refill station and public restroom, with no binding legal agreement. Businesses receive free advertising through trail maps, an app, and social media. Fort Wayne's program is run by a nonprofit (Fort Wayne Trails). The committee discussed partnering with a local nonprofit to replicate the model in Indianapolis. A member also reported working on amending Indiana's recreational user statute to extend liability protection to businesses that welcome trail users. The committee agreed to form a subcommittee to initiate conversations with potential nonprofit partners and to refine the program model.

  • Ribbon Cutting Ceremonies: The committee announced two upcoming ribbon cuttings: the B&O Trail ribbon cutting on October 8, 2025, from 4-6 PM at 2020 Girls School Road (connecting Marion County to Hendricks County), and the Nickel Plate Trail ribbon cutting on October 21, 2025, from 4-5 PM at 6211 Allisonville Road.

  • Implementation Plan Update (Daniel): Daniel provided an update on the Greenways Implementation Plan. In August 2025, the committee participated in seven roadshows across Marion County, collecting ballots where attendees allocated eight votes among priority categories. The highest average was for "connecting people and trails" (transportation, 2.36 votes), followed by "connecting underserved communities" (1.76 votes), and "promoting growth and development" (1.40 votes). "Supporting sustainable funding and implementation" received the lowest average (0.85 votes). Participation was highest in Center and Washington townships, with increased but still low representation from southern townships. Common feedback near greenways included requests for restrooms, water fountains, maintenance, and public safety. Away from greenways, residents wanted more neighborhood trails and places for children. An online story map for feedback will be released soon, and a public comment period is expected in January 2026. Daniel also reported on specific trail projects: the Eagle Creek Greenway segment from Crockersville Road to Washington Street is on track for completion by mid-2027; the Grassy Creek Connector (east-west) is ahead of schedule and includes a restroom at the new educational center; the Eagle Creek phase 3 (Washington to McCarty) has MPO funding and will go to bid in 2028; the Monon bridge over 86th Street will go to bid in 2029; and bridges over 82nd and Keystone on the Nickel Plate trail are planned (total $30 million). Trail counters have been purchased (14 units) but not yet deployed. A member complimented Daniel for his dedication in attending a roadshow on Labor Day morning.

Key Outcomes

  • Restroom Pilot: The committee agreed to obtain cost estimates from multiple vendors, consult with Parks (Andre) on past costs, identify potential pilot locations, and develop success metrics. A pilot with one unit is planned for spring 2026, contingent on fundraising.
  • Trail-Friendly Business: A subcommittee will be formed to engage a local nonprofit and begin conversations with businesses. A member will continue work on amending the recreational user statute to shield businesses from liability.
  • Implementation Plan: The committee will promote the upcoming online story map and encourage public feedback. The final public comment period is set for January 2026.
  • Ribbon Cuttings: Members were encouraged to attend the B&O (Oct 8) and Nickel Plate (Oct 21) events.
  • No Formal Votes: The committee did not have a quorum for voting; no resolutions were passed.

Meeting Transcript

We'll have a few more people that will trickle in and when we get to a quorum, we'll go back and uh do the minutes approval. Um we'll start into discussion topics. The first one uh on the list is a restroom pilot. Uh we've been talking with different organizations around the community for most of this year about what it would take to do a pilot, see how it goes, see what the costs are. Uh I recently came across a company, believe it or not, called Throne. And uh Throne does portable restrooms, you know, full service, they put them in, they maintain they uh take care of them. I have reached out to them to find out what it would take to do a pilot with their uh product. I'm not yet heard back, so I can't tell you any more than there's one more to talk about. Um I think at this point we probably ought to be thinking about this as something that we would do starting in the spring, so we'd get more time to be out there and grab gather some data on it so over the co over the winter we can sort of lock that in and try to lock down some funding. I've talked to a couple uh local philanthropists who have at least expressed an interest in funding it. Um I know that there are a couple other organizations that might kick in some money as well, so we wrap some numbers around this is probably something we could get done for spring. Um so at this point we're just trying to understand what it costs would be report that back to the parks. Or one about remember uh well starting with a what would it cost for one and seeing where that sits and how much money we can raise to try to do more than one. And then Craig, do you have uh is there like a um uh a ratio of like laying uh miles and drill miles or all that numbers of the number of atoms or the uh overall network? Uh the the recommendation, Mr. Flank. I did a memo or would you try to four reasons for that? I don't know if you've got it. Uh Mr. Flink is uh literally a world recognized expert. He's consulted on greenways throughout the US and all over Europe on greenways, and uh uh lucky enough to sit next to him at the table uh where he spoke, and so I said to him, is there such a thing? And he said at a minimum one restroom every five miles of trail is is a useful rule of thumb. He didn't think that was perfect by any means, but I it was an absolute minimum besides older one in the whole network and and uh use our and the um that's dad C said what I use is some rules on for can he does design consulting and consulting with government units um that's his minimum so we'd have to figure out do we want to do multiples on on the same trail to try to test that density, or do you just want to try them in places that would get heavy usage to see what kind of burden I think we'd have to talk about which one of those makes the most sense is there anyway monetize though at all or advertising results? I don't know. I my guess would be not monetizing the like I know yeah, I my guess would be not because there are so many of the the Greenway's rules about advertising. But that's something we could look into. We could ask. Yeah. There was a moment where I was talking with Indianapolis Fabrications, I think it was about this right. Was that the company? Yep. Uh because they maybe could replicate it. The question would be whether or not it meets what requirements and standards the city would need. But you know that is that like this throne company that you're talking about? Should we like see if they're less I have asked them for a quote and I their quote came back somewhere around 20,000? Yeah. I have not heard back from Throne. I don't know what their number is. Okay. Yep. And that's that's not me. That's just here it is. Yeah. For how long? That's to hold it. Oh, to purchase. Yeah. Okay. Did we say that was higher though? Well, I it was higher than I thought it would be.

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