ProPEL Indy

HNTB, in partnership with the Indiana Department of Transportation, has launched ProPEL Indy, a two-year Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) study of the interstates within the I-465 Loop in Indianapolis.

The program seeks to identify actionable strategies for modernizing and enhancing interstates I-70 and I-65 within the I-465 corridor while prioritizing improvements for the region’s overall mobility, equity, economic opportunity and quality of life.

HNTB’s scope of work includes traffic forecasting, identification of transportation needs in the study area, evaluation of transportation options that address regional and community needs, resource agency coordination, cost evaluations, website creation and management, creation and management of social media platforms, financial planning and developing the PEL report.

Every Voice Heard, Every Possibility Assessed

The interstates within I-465 serve many people in many different ways, and a major component of ProPEL Indy is a thorough community engagement plan to gather feedback from those who live adjacent to the corridor to the surrounding region — including urban, semi-urban, suburban and regional stakeholders.  Stakeholders will include residents, local units of government, commuters, businesses, neighborhoods and numerous civic organizations.

To inform and engage the community, HNTB and INDOT launched ProPELIndy.com. Visitors to the site can view virtual public meetings, provide comments, learn about upcoming meetings and stay up to date on the initiative’s progress.

Delivering a Visionary Roadmap

ProPEL Indy rests upon four pillars: Quality of Life and Livability, Economic Growth and Opportunity, Transportation and Mobility and Equity. By spring 2025, the project aims to deliver a plan and a PEL Report that will establish options to improve the interstates, while enhancing the overall quality of life in Indianapolis. The study has the potential of setting a best practice for urban transportation planning and community engagement and serve as a model for other states pursuing similar outcomes.