OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Indianapolis Greenways Committee Meeting - May 28, 2026

Other Meetings (A-H) — Thursday, May 28, 2026
BodyIndianapolis, Indiana
SessionOther Meetings (A-H)
DateThursday, May 28, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:30:30
Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Welcome.

0:01

And we've had a little talk about several subjects, but we're now going to start the meeting.

0:07

I'd like to begin with everybody going around.

0:09

Bill, if you don't mind, and we can start with you and tell who you are and why you're here or make up a story.

0:20

I'm uh Bill Kentus.

0:22

I'm on the uh DBW uh staff and a project manager for Trails and Green Place.

0:29

Jim Millowitz, uh member board.

0:33

Or committee.

0:34

Are we a board or a committee?

0:35

You're a committee committee.

0:36

Committee.

0:37

There you go.

0:38

He from Palmero, I was a committee member.

0:40

Again, apologies for the delay of traffic.

0:44

Ryan Gallagher, service planner at Indigo, board member.

0:48

Committee member.

0:51

I'm Craig Pincus.

0:52

I'm a retired person.

0:53

I'm the uh acting chairman by virtue of the vacancy that we're going to remedy, I hope, in a few minutes.

1:02

And um I want to say thanks to everybody who's here.

1:10

I'm very grateful.

1:12

Uh Trina Radabush, committee member.

1:15

Javen Austin, committee member.

1:17

Uh Joe Jarzon, also a committee member.

1:20

Just did the pleasant run trails past weekend with uh the kids, so that was fun.

1:26

Daniel Heisland, uh, senior project manager at EPW Trust and Realties.

1:39

Thanks.

1:40

Thanks everyone.

1:41

Um, first order of business is approval of a half dozen minutes, it seems like that's because this is our first quorum meeting since last fall, and we've got November 25 has been distributed, December 3.

1:59

Trina put together superb minutes.

2:02

Uh January and March of this year.

2:07

And uh boy, I don't have anything to add or subtract, but if anybody does, this is the time.

2:14

Otherwise, let's approve those.

2:16

So moved.

2:18

Second.

2:19

Second, yeah.

2:20

All in favor?

2:21

I'm unanimous.

2:24

Okay, great.

2:25

We conducted some business.

2:28

Very glad.

2:29

Okay, the next thing we need to do is uh elect officers.

2:35

All the officers that uh that the ordinance specifies for this committee are chairperson, vice chairperson, and secretary.

2:54

The executive committee of this of this committee.

3:01

Is charged with maintaining continuity between regular meetings and also taking action where necessary.

3:11

The ordinance also says that the actions of the executive executive committee are to be ratified by the full committee when there's an opportunity to do so.

3:24

Uh Damon uh, as you know, resigned last year, uh left in December.

3:32

Since then I've been acting chair, that's basically half a year, which is due to our lack of quora.

3:41

And uh so that office is open, and actually, as far as I'm concerned, we can, you know, we can elect anybody to any office and uh um uh uh just a private remark.

3:58

I have been excited by the fact that we've had several members who have communicated their interest, for example, the e-bike issue, and are speaking up.

4:11

And to me, this is like a breath of fresh air.

4:14

So I'm I'm really excited that people are participating, thinking about what they want to talk about.

4:23

And uh that's that's the that's the trend I'd like to continue.

4:29

So we can start with chairperson vacancy or anybody got a nomination here that you'd like to make.

4:37

I would nominate you, Craig, if you would accept the nomination for sure.

4:42

Uh uh, you know, I'm entirely willing to do this job, but don't you think somebody younger than an 83-year-old should be doing this show?

4:56

Honestly.

4:57

I mean, that's that's the way I felt about it.

5:01

Really?

5:02

I'm serious.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Parks and Recreation█████████████████████████████████████████████48%
Active Transportation██████████████15%
Procedural█████████████14%
Community Engagement████████9%
Engineering And Infrastructure████4%
Public Safety████4%
Economic Development██2%
Transportation Safety██2%
Public Health█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Indianapolis Greenways Committee Meeting - May 28, 2026

The Greenways Committee held its first quorum meeting since fall 2025 on May 28, 2026, at 8:15 PM. The meeting included approval of six sets of minutes, election of officers, extensive discussion on a Trail Friendly Business Program, an update on the Grassy Creek Greenway project, and the launch of a subcommittee to address e-bike safety concerns. The committee also paid tribute to former chair Greg Silver, who passed away in February 2026.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Minutes: Unanimously approved minutes from November 25, 2025, December 3, 2025, January 2026, and March 2026. (Moved, seconded, all in favor.)

Public Comments & Testimony

  • (No public comments were recorded in the transcript.)

Election of Officers

  • Chairperson: Craig Pincus was nominated and elected by acclamation (voiced approval after a brief hesitation about his age).
  • Vice Chairperson: Ephraim was nominated and elected unanimously.
  • Secretary: Joe Jarzon was nominated and re-elected unanimously.

Discussion Items

Trail Friendly Business Program

  • Craig Pincus provided background: the program aims to enlist businesses near greenways to offer restrooms and water to trail users, avoiding costly construction. A draft plan was prepared by former DPW staff Gretchen, then revised by Craig. The plan has been pending for a year.
  • Shabon reported on outreach to Fort Wayne's independent trail organization, which operates a similar program with minimal barriers (e.g., requiring at least one amenity like water or restrooms). Success factors include a dedicated program manager and low entry requirements.
  • Carlos expressed caution about the need for data on trail usage and amenity demand, noting that many trails (e.g., Fall Creek, White River) lack nearby businesses. He argued that decisions should be based on surveys and usage counts, not anecdotes.
  • Craig countered with survey data from a 700-member running group: 43% of respondents reported being turned away from a business when needing restroom or water. He also cited the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s “We Can’t Wait” app as evidence of unmet needs for people with medical conditions.
  • Daniel Heisland noted that the plan includes a year-long discovery phase to gather stakeholders and test concepts. He recommended learning from peer cities and existing trail-friendly businesses (e.g., Kroger at 86th and Monon, SOM locations on the Monon).
  • A subcommittee was proposed and created to study the program further. Members include Ryan Gallagher, Craig Pincus, and others who volunteered. The subcommittee’s goals: study parallel programs, talk to existing businesses, identify proof-of-concept areas, list possible inducements, and inventory existing assets (e.g., park restrooms along trails).

Grassy Creek Greenway Update

  • Daniel Heisland presented the project: a north-south greenway connecting Fort Harrison State Park (Lawrence) to Buck Creek Greenway on the south side. The currently funded segment connects Grassy Creek Park (where the committee met in December) to the Pinsy Trail.
  • Statistics: 64,000 people, 19,000 jobs, and 23 K–12 schools are within one mile of the planned greenway. 82% of residents within a mile identify as non-white. The area currently lacks active transportation options.
  • Funding: 80% federal (Transportation Alternatives Program and Surface Transportation Block Grant), 20% city match. Construction is tentatively scheduled for 2031, with opening by 2032–2033.
  • The project is in the design and permitting phase; public outreach efforts will follow. Committee members were invited to submit one recommendation or comment each by the next meeting (e.g., identifying a potential trail-friendly business along the route).

E-Bike Safety and Regulation

  • Craig Pincus introduced the topic, citing a New York Times article and expressing concern that high-speed e-bikes on shared-use trails pose a public health hazard. He argued the committee should preemptively study the issue and recommend regulations (e.g., speed limits, potential bans on throttle-operated e-bikes).
  • Carlos noted that e-bikes have benefits for rehabilitation and inclusive recreation (e.g., enabling older riders or those with disabilities). He distinguished between pedal-assist and throttle e-bikes, viewing throttle versions as more problematic.
  • Jim Millowitz added context from his experience on a task force that studied Amsterdam’s cycling infrastructure, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive approach that considers infrastructure separation (bikes vs. pedestrians) as the ultimate solution.
  • A subcommittee was created to study e-bike issues. Volunteers include Craig Pincus, Carlos, Jim Millowitz, and others. The subcommittee will be subject to open door law and must provide public notice for meetings.

Other Business

  • Trail Counters: Bill Kentus and Daniel discussed that DPW has acquired trail usage counters; deployment is pending. The committee agreed to request an update on their status and data accessibility.
  • Memorial: Carlos shared a tribute to Greg Silver, the former committee chair who recruited him in 2012 and passed away in February 2026. Silver was an attorney and environmental advocate instrumental in preserving public access to waterways. The committee acknowledged his legacy.
  • Next Steps: The Trail Friendly Business and E-Bike subcommittees will meet separately (with public notice). The full committee will reconvene in approximately three months, at which time subcommittees are expected to report progress.

Key Outcomes

  • Officers Elected: Craig Pincus (Chair), Ephraim (Vice Chair), Joe Jarzon (Secretary) – all by acclamation or unanimous vote.
  • Trail Friendly Business Subcommittee Created: Approved with members Ryan Gallagher, Craig Pincus, and others. Tasked with studying peer programs, outreach to businesses, and developing recommendations.
  • E-Bike Subcommittee Created: Approved with members Craig Pincus, Carlos, Jim Millowitz, and others. Tasked with studying safety, regulation options, and making recommendations.
  • Committee input on Grassy Creek Greenway: Members to submit individual recommendations/comments by next meeting.
  • Meeting Adjourned: Unanimously after a tribute to Greg Silver.

Meeting Transcript

Welcome. And we've had a little talk about several subjects, but we're now going to start the meeting. I'd like to begin with everybody going around. Bill, if you don't mind, and we can start with you and tell who you are and why you're here or make up a story. I'm uh Bill Kentus. I'm on the uh DBW uh staff and a project manager for Trails and Green Place. Jim Millowitz, uh member board. Or committee. Are we a board or a committee? You're a committee committee. Committee. There you go. He from Palmero, I was a committee member. Again, apologies for the delay of traffic. Ryan Gallagher, service planner at Indigo, board member. Committee member. I'm Craig Pincus. I'm a retired person. I'm the uh acting chairman by virtue of the vacancy that we're going to remedy, I hope, in a few minutes. And um I want to say thanks to everybody who's here. I'm very grateful. Uh Trina Radabush, committee member. Javen Austin, committee member. Uh Joe Jarzon, also a committee member. Just did the pleasant run trails past weekend with uh the kids, so that was fun. Daniel Heisland, uh, senior project manager at EPW Trust and Realties. Thanks. Thanks everyone. Um, first order of business is approval of a half dozen minutes, it seems like that's because this is our first quorum meeting since last fall, and we've got November 25 has been distributed, December 3. Trina put together superb minutes. Uh January and March of this year. And uh boy, I don't have anything to add or subtract, but if anybody does, this is the time. Otherwise, let's approve those. So moved. Second. Second, yeah. All in favor? I'm unanimous. Okay, great. We conducted some business. Very glad. Okay, the next thing we need to do is uh elect officers. All the officers that uh that the ordinance specifies for this committee are chairperson, vice chairperson, and secretary. The executive committee of this of this committee. Is charged with maintaining continuity between regular meetings and also taking action where necessary. The ordinance also says that the actions of the executive executive committee are to be ratified by the full committee when there's an opportunity to do so. Uh Damon uh, as you know, resigned last year, uh left in December. Since then I've been acting chair, that's basically half a year, which is due to our lack of quora. And uh so that office is open, and actually, as far as I'm concerned, we can, you know, we can elect anybody to any office and uh um uh uh just a private remark. I have been excited by the fact that we've had several members who have communicated their interest, for example, the e-bike issue, and are speaking up.

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