The City of Fishers. in planning the Nickel Plate Trail, decided not to pursue a plan to construct a trail and a train operation at the same time along the Nickel Plate. Proponents of preserving the line as a train operation have argued the city did not properly consider allowing both a trail and a train to operate simultaneously along the Nickel Plate.
Friday afternoon, the City of Fishers released a study conducted by the Indianapolis engineering firm of Butler, Fairman & Seufert, dated February 11, 2019. That assessment shows that there were two possible options in combining a train & trail along the Nickel Plate. One option would cost an additional $20.5 million over what the trail alone would cost. The other option would add $39.8 million over the expense of just a trail.
“Due to the continued inaccuracies shared to the media by train advocate groups, the City is responding to their assertions that alternative designs were not considered through a feasibilitystudy,” according to a City of Fishers news release. “For purposes of the study, the City of Fishers and its retained consultant analyzed the rail corridor to determine the feasibility of keeping the existing Nickel Plate Rail in place throughout the corridor, with the new trail being placed alongside.”
The engineering study specified what would need to be done with the $20.5 million additional cost option. According to the city, this includes:
- $16,900,000 for 82 property acquisitions (whole or partial) along the rail corridor* with 13 buildings to be demolished
- $1,200,000 for the addition of a 6-foot safety fence between the trail and the tracks
- $300,000 for retention wall construction
- $900,000 for additional pedestrian bridges over major waterway
The city added that all this would be contingent on the “willingness of adjacent property owners to accept the encroachment of the trail onto their property, and for some land owners and businesses willing to relocate.”
You can access the full engineering study document at this link.
All this time has passed and NOW they say, “hey we considered both rail/trail”. Where’s the study been hiding and why wasn’t it brought out for discussion before the Mayor and the rest made up theirs mibds?
Thank you for your tireless excellent work Logan !!!
The cost estimates are suspect because the cost estimates of the trail only plan are not even close to what the trail will actually cost. It seems they just pull numbers out of the air to make their case, without actually doing the work of getting real numbers. I am truly disgusted with the lack of transparency and the lack of consideration for residents of the community Fishers’ elected officials have shown during this entire three years. I believe the current Fishers mayor and council are more concerned with pleasing developers than the residents. They have not sought residents’ input until after decisions have been made and those decisions are in the best interests of developers.
You are so correct
Where is the trail only plan with budget numbers? I only skimmed this trail/rail report, but it seemed to show numbers “above baseline”. Where is the baseline? Why is there a comprehensive plan for trail/rail with numbers but no easy to find numbers for the trail only. Additionally, it is hard to believe that all of the fancy features proposed in many of the trial areas aren’t going to require the same types of extensions and widths that the trail/rail would need – as well as costs.
Money was spent on this plan, yet the city council has been evasive on giving any numbers on the trail alone plan. If this report doesn’t have the baseline numbers based on what the council has suggested for the trail, then the release of this report seems very suspect. It clearly was created with the intent of killing the idea, not the intent of seeing if it was feasible.
These figures are a fabrication and nothing more than a long line of lies and deceit by Scott Fadness, in a pathetic attempt to justify his glorified sidewalk, that our community and neighborhoods want no part of. Mayor Fadness has destroyed our unique downtown, and for this we say GOODBYE AND GOOD RIDDANCE. What elected official would go against his constituents in the name of personal greed, ignorance, and ignoring what our community has said they want, which is to save the RAILROAD for all generations to enjoy, both young and old? That mans name is Scott Fadness.
We live right on the rail line and ourselves and everyone we have spoke with are vehemently against this linear crime trail. We have friends who live along the Monon trail and they say crime is rampant and a regular occurrence. Our neighborhood association has pleaded with Fadness to stop this crime trail and were completely ignored and disrespected. Clearly, Scott Fadness is in cahoots with the developers and is getting his pockets lined on the backs of those of us who have to live with this scam in our backyards. YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO DESTROY OUR NEIGHBORHOODS and open them up to crime, with complete and total strangers wandering aimlessly at all hours. The tragedy on the Monon trail in Delphi should be a lesson to all about why these trails are a magnet for crime and why our children will now be at risk and will no longer be able to play in their own backyards due to complete and total strangers mere steps away due to Scott Fadness and his pathetic, self serving linear crime trail that nobody but the politicians want.
Just because “SOME” people don’t want the track or train doesn’t mean there aren’t a lot of others who don’t. It would be one thing if whoever had the track before abandoned them & “No one” wanted to tack them over,that would be one thing. But when there are people who “WANT” the tracks & have the means to do the upkeep. I think it would be a far bigger problem for drivers to dodge al the walkers,Runners,Strutters & the across “EVERY” road,Street, & Intersection from where they start it to where it ends. Both ways. Tell the people who want the trail to walk around there Neighborhood if they want to stay fit! As far as the Fire Department & Responding to Emergencies, If the Dispatch Centers know when the Train’s going through & which direction They can work around that. Their Computer system can put that in & know “Exactly” when & where the Train is at all times. So if the people who are wanting to tear the Tracks up tell people that’s an issue “Know better” & the gas lines under the Rail line, They “Should” know “Exactly” how for down to bury the gas lines to avoid that issue!
Bravo, Scott Fadness is a glory hound and you are all right. Mr Logan would preserve the railroad for future use!
Kelly Collins–That would be Mr. Logan Day.
I am not a resident of Fishers but I do very much support a rail/trail. Rail passenger trains have just about disappeared. Most children have not ever experienced train travel. We have a route established in that corridor, which could be expanded and open up train traffic into places in Northern Indiana. That would open up opportunities to be near rail to trail corridors in other areas, and business opportunities. I would be nice to be able to ride your bike, get a ride on a train, get off and bike in areas of the state north of Noblesville, and possibly catch the train back in the evening, or the next day. People could stop and just soak in the sights and sounds of just a walk in a small town serviced by such a rail corridor, and maybe spend a night. Here I see an opportunity for B&B’s and restaurants along the line, especially on the weekend and during the summer months. It would be a boom for tourism here in Indiana. So many opportunities would be lost by tearing up the track and making it just a bike lane.
If this study was paid for on the taxpayer’s dime, why was it not released until after the “train left the station”, so to speak?
How much did this study cost the public?
Is there a public notice trail to follow, showing the awarding of the contract?
What dates and timeframe did this take place in?
Were there competitive bids?
They will still need to compensate property owners along the track, correct?
And the costs for crossing the major streets will be in the same ballpark?
So many unanswered questions…
Living in Fishers is like owning a boat… moving in is a great day; moving out is great(er) day. Every decision about the past 5ish years has been ALL about the mellennials (and God help us). The politicos and developers don’t give two s**ts about the current and long-time residents.
They do seem to have made the rail option look as expensive as possible by claiming it needs so much upgrade and restorative work, even positive train control, which I doubt we need on a slow one-train-at-a-time rail line. (suspect it would be exempt from PTC)
Removing the train shows a lack of vision, deprives us of any hope for a third leg of a road-air-rail transportation system.