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City may study permanent closure of Kirkwood to cars, department head says

By Lucas González

Posted April 8, 2024

A Bloomington city department head says she’s open to studying permanently closing some of Kirkwood Avenue to drivers. (Joe Hren / WFIU-WTIU)

A Bloomington city department head says she’s open to studying permanently closing some of Kirkwood Avenue to drivers.

The issue came up Wednesday before the city council unanimously approved another season of the Expanded Outdoor Dining Program.

Council member Isak Asare suggested the idea, which Economic and Sustainable Development Director Jane Kupersmith responded positively to.

“We can look into that,” Kupersmith said. “That would be a multiyear public engagement process (and) planning process. There would be a lot of steps to investigate that — but I think that would be super appropriate to look into.”

Jane Kupersmith *(Courtesy, Community Access Television Services)*

The program typically closes part of Kirkwood Avenue to drivers during warmer months. That won’t happen this year because of the Clear Creek Reconstruction project, which aims to improve storm flooding and drainage downtown.

However, the program will still allow businesses to temporarily use parklets, or publicly accessible seating that extends the sidewalk.

Asare said there are many positives to making Kirkwood a pedestrian corridor.

“We’ve seen the added benefits of having increased walkability, increased accessibility to downtown places, safety for students, etc.,” Asare said.

Isak Asare *(Courtesy, Community Access Television Services)*

He added he’s had discussions with others in city government about possibly closing Kirkwood to drivers for longer.

City staff say they plan to ask the council to vote on a three-to-five-year program extension either later this year or in 2025.

Council member Matt Flaherty said the city should extend the seasonal program indefinitely, so the council doesn’t have to renew it annually.

“I think we just need to codify it and just go,” Flaherty said. “You don’t need to come back to us every year; we just do it. You don’t need to come to us every five years. If we want to change it in the future, the council can do that, and they will do that.”

Matt Flaherty *(Courtesy, Community Access Television Services)*

Flaherty noted the city’s Transportation Plan, adopted in 2019, calls for future conversion of Kirkwood to a shared street, which focuses on slow movement and pedestrian access.

He added a shared street design allows for testing and piloting.

“You can move toward a permanent closure … but it doesn’t have to be the final decision from the start,” Flaherty said. “It gives flexibility.”

Council member Sydney Zulich, who represents the downtown area, said extending the closure of Kirkwood to cars may help bridge the divide between Indiana University and the rest of Bloomington.

"As the representative of that district and of most of campus, I've really been struggling with the fact that a lot of IU students do not feel like they are residents of Bloomington," Zulich said. "I think that turning Kirkwood into a year-long closure would really help all students feel like they were a part of our community, in addition to being a part of their IU community."

Sydney Zulich *(Courtesy, Community Access Television Services)*

Mayor Kerry Thomson said in a public address last month her administration has no plans to close any of Kirkwood permanently, and that she would not make a decision that impactful without public input.

This year, the outdoor dining program will last from April 29 until Nov. 1.