Carmel to Revamp Rangeline Road with Pedestrian Safety Upgrades

City to remove controversial barriers, expand sidewalks, and add on-street parking along popular corridor

Published on Mar. 3, 2026

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The City of Carmel, Indiana is making a series of accessibility and safety improvements to Rangeline Road near its City Center. The changes include removing the controversial lime green painted bike lanes and steel planters installed in 2018, and instead expanding the sidewalk to create a 10-foot wide multi-use path completely separated from vehicle traffic. The $1.5 million project is expected to be completed by November 2026.

Why it matters

The Rangeline Road corridor in Carmel's City Center is a popular destination for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers. The previous setup with narrow bike lanes and planters separating foot and vehicle traffic was criticized by some residents as unsafe and overly expensive. The new design aims to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety while also adding more parking options along the busy street.

The details

In 2018, Carmel painted the pavement lime green and installed 40 steel planters costing $3,500 each to create a bike lane on Rangeline Road between City Center and Executive Drive. However, the project was not well-received by all residents, with some calling the $142,000 cost "astronomical" and "unneeded". Now, the city is reconfiguring the setup by removing the planters in April and then in July beginning construction on a new 10-foot wide multi-use path, adding on-street parking, and making other infrastructure improvements. Rangeline Road will be fully closed to northbound traffic during construction, with detours posted.

  • In April 2026, Carmel will remove the controversial planters.
  • In July 2026, Carmel will begin construction on the new multi-use path, add on-street parking, and make other infrastructure improvements.
  • The $1.5 million project is expected to be completed in November 2026.

The players

Carmel

The city of Carmel, Indiana, located just north of Indianapolis, is undertaking the Rangeline Road improvement project.

Joellen Gatte

A Carmel resident who expressed approval for the previous lime green bike lane and planter setup, saying "It gives a sense of greenery in a kind of a cement building area, so I don't mind them at all."

Justin Scott

A Carmel resident who criticized the previous $142,000 planter project as "Astronomical, first off. Second off, unneeded completely."

John Thomas

The Stormwater Administrator for the City of Carmel, who discussed the upcoming construction plans and detours for the Rangeline Road project.

Jordan Kohl

The leader of Strong Towns Carmel, who was brought in to provide feedback on the new Rangeline Road layout, noting "There's gonna be tons of redevelopment all along this corridor and so it's important to make this a place that feels safe to come to and walk around."

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What they’re saying

“It gives a sense of greenery in a kind of a cement building area, so I don't mind them at all.”

— Joellen Gatte, Carmel resident (fox59.com)

“Astronomical, first off. Second off, unneeded completely.”

— Justin Scott, Carmel resident (fox59.com)

“It will be a full closure northbound on RangeLine. Southbound will still be open, but we'll have detour routes posted, and so we just ask for patience, pardon our dust and everything, but we're moving to a better path forward here on Rangeline.”

— John Thomas, Stormwater Administrator, City of Carmel (fox59.com)

“There's gonna be tons of redevelopment all along this corridor and so it's important to make this a place that feels safe to come to and walk around.”

— Jordan Kohl, Leader, Strong Towns Carmel (fox59.com)

What’s next

In April 2026, Carmel will remove the controversial planters installed in 2018 as part of the initial bike lane project. Then in July 2026, the city will begin construction on the new multi-use path, add on-street parking, and make other infrastructure improvements along Rangeline Road.

The takeaway

The changes to Rangeline Road in Carmel's City Center aim to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety by creating a wider, dedicated multi-use path completely separated from vehicle traffic. This addresses concerns raised by some residents about the previous setup's high cost and questionable effectiveness, while also adding more parking options to support the area's ongoing redevelopment.