Closing Broad Ripple Ave.

[snapping turtle]

If you can't walk on the road it is worthless and weak.
6th street in Austin was just a giant street party each week. That would be good for business. Closing at midnight till 4 am worthless.

What if I parked on the street at say 7 pm have dinner see a show have a drink afterwards and now it is 12:09 am and I can't leave till 4 am.

Just close the street from dusk to dawn fri and sat. Let people walk down it and hang out, bring in the mounted horse patrols and park a swat armored car in front of the Alley Cat. Just to close the street not going to change anything. Not going to change anything in November either when nobody walks at night in the cold.

 

[Cameramonkey]

I Just emailed Mayor Ballard's office regarding the apparent disconnect between removing traffic and these incidents. I'll post their response.

Oh, and Jmariott, I'd venture to guess they wouldnt block you in. They'd tow you for the revenue.

They are also allowing taxis down the street, so they also might let you drive out when you are ready to leave but not let anyone back in.

 

[Designer99]

If you can't walk on the road it is worthless and weak.
6th street in Austin was just a giant street party each week. That would be good for business. Closing at midnight till 4 am worthless.

What if I parked on the street at say 7 pm have dinner see a show have a drink afterwards and now it is 12:09 am and I can't leave till 4 am.

Just close the street from dusk to dawn fri and sat. Let people walk down it and hang out, bring in the mounted horse patrols and park a swat armored car in front of the Alley Cat. Just to close the street not going to change anything. Not going to change anything in November either when nobody walks at night in the cold.

Agreed. 6th Street in Austin is a great time. There's bars full of live music and tattoo shops as far as the eye can see. I think it would be great for Broad Ripple to have a "street party" every weekend. Not sure how it fixes the shooting problem though.

 

[indyblue]

Broadripple Ave = the new Bourbon Street?

 

[Harry2110]

If this is true, I'd LOVE to hear the rationale. Because if you arent going to allow foot traffic on the street, why close it?

My guess is so that cops could have a clear run if there was an issue is my thought otherwise people should be able to walk in the street and turn it into what georgia ave was supposed to be in the first place.

 

[Emptora]

Cincinnati used to close down Over the Rhine quite a bit didn't they. But that was when they had alot of riots due to police shootings. What other alternatives are there to nighttime violence?

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

If this is true, I'd LOVE to hear the rationale. Because if you arent going to allow foot traffic on the street, why close it?

I swear that I heard that on the news report on TV last night.

But A) I'm not even sure what station the TV was on at the time... And B) I was only casually listening because I was also (At the time) trying to not make a mess out of the homemade mudslide I was consuming.

However - both my wife and I looked at each other after that comment and had the same "what?" look - and both mentioned how dumb it was that people weren't going to be allowed on the closed streets.

C) I did hear correctly on the news report and the news report was wrong.

So... Who knows.

 

[Emptora]

I heard it on WISH-TV, I didn't see any other carrier discuss it. I believe it was on their website as well Indy_Guy

 

[wakproductions]

Chamber of Commerce 1, Citizens of Broad Ripple 0.

Just opportunistic desire grabbing.

I don't get how shutting the road off to cars will reduce violence or help business. I would think it would be hurtful to business because it would funnel more traffic through tight side streets and parking will become more difficult. Won't it just be easier to have a night out on Mass Ave instead?

 

[Kirk Freeman]

I don't get how shutting the road off to cars will reduce violence or help business.

Think like the Chamber of Commerce, what would you do if you wanted to use the power of government to create customers for you. Your goal is to use the power of government to help your members=economic rent seeking.

1. The parking garage was an enormous capital expenditure.

2. Close Broad Ripple Avenue.

3. Manufacture complaints from neighborhoods regarding parking and traffic.

4. Institute neighborhood parking permits forcing people to park in your very large and expensive parking garage.

Property owners should be calling for tar and feathers.

 

[Lex Concord]

I saw this on the news tonight. I figured they were just trying to reduce the number of innocents that might get swept by Kirk's piece

 

[Hookeye]

Modify Designated Driver commercials/PSA's to include LTCH.

 

[wakproductions]

Think like the Chamber of Commerce, what would you do if you wanted to use the power of government to create customers for you. Your goal is to use the power of government to help your members=economic rent seeking.

1. The parking garage was an enormous capital expenditure.

2. Close Broad Ripple Avenue.

3. Manufacture complaints from neighborhoods regarding parking and traffic.

4. Institute neighborhood parking permits forcing people to park in your very large and expensive parking garage.

Property owners should be calling for tar and feathers.

From that standpoint it makes perfect sense. Nobody wants to use that ugly, unnecessary parking garage. It didn't occur to me that they would be so crafty as to impose that parking garage unto people under the guise of safety against gun toting thugs. Nice diversion from the real agenda.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

The Chamber of Commerce=the people that demand Obamacare and amnesty.

Economic renting seeking is not helpful.

 

[Archer]

Argh! I like to cruise. I'm part of the "car scene". I pass through the circle & B-rip all the time.

You like to sit in bumper to bumper traffic along Broadripple Avenue in the wee hours of the morning with drunk people darting in and out of the street like whack-a-moles? Whhhhyyyyyyy?

 

[wakproductions]

Man beaten and robbed in Broad Ripple | Fox 59 News ? fox59.com

 

[Hookeye]

Fox 59 story..............probably because all of the talking heads on Channel 13 think making "the call" will stop the BS.

 

[zippy23]

i read the title of the post and hoped you were saying they were just shutting down the whole street for good! too bad, i remember years ago when it was the "cool" place to go, boy was i dumb. Too many bad things happens on that street. thats why i wised up and no longer visit that area. One less place to have a stray bullet find ya.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

On the other hand, the police are closing down a public thoroughfare in the absence of a specific threat, and I'm not sure I like the precedent.

How's this a precedent? Public streets get shut down all the time for various events. Drunk-fest weekend is hardly a precedent, its been going on downtown for years when the bars let out. It keeps people from bunching up on the sidewalk waiting for their ride, keeps fights down, makes it easier to keep an eye on the crowd, and prevents gridlock.

You can even get a permit to shut down your city street for a block party, parade, or art fair if you're so inclined and meet whatever requirements are set out to do so.

 

[LP1]

How's this a precedent? Public streets get shut down all the time for various events. Drunk-fest weekend is hardly a precedent, its been going on downtown for years when the bars let out. It keeps people from bunching up on the sidewalk waiting for their ride, keeps fights down, makes it easier to keep an eye on the crowd, and prevents gridlock.

You can even get a permit to shut down your city street for a block party, parade, or art fair if you're so inclined and meet whatever requirements are set out to do so.

The difference is that parades, craft fairs, etc. are events with a specific purpose that go through a process for getting the permit, etc. This is just another vaguely-defined "we gotta do sumthin" action.

I like the comparison to 6th St. in Austin - if the street was closed to traffic and open to pedestrians, then it might do something meaningful to relieve some of the human congestion. As it is, it would appear to just force the traffic onto side streets.

Thankfully, my Broad Ripple days ended years ago.