Carmel outlines major College Avenue rebuild, roundabouts and new pedestrian measures; wheel tax to boost road funding

City engineering staff and elected officials updated residents on an extensive College Avenue reconstruction project, the use of roundabouts and raised pedestrian crosswalks to slow traffic, and new local road funding planned to begin in 2026.

Joshua (Josh) Kirk of the City of Carmel engineering department described a full rebuild of College Avenue from 90th & Sixth Street to 106th Street that will include multi‑use paths, stormwater improvements and three roundabouts — one at 90th & Sixth (complete), one at Carmel Gateway (substantially complete) and a future roundabout on Pennsylvania Parkway north of I‑465. Kirk said the project is expected to take about 18 months and that crews are roughly six months into construction.

Kirk addressed a separate closure pattern on Towne Road and the use of raised pedestrian crosswalks at roundabouts as a traffic‑calming and pedestrian‑safety measure. He said the crosswalks slow entering and exiting speeds and provide safer pedestrian access; the city has adopted raised crosswalks at several roundabouts in high‑walkability areas to reduce vehicle speeds approaching and leaving the roundabout.

Kirk acknowledged traffic disruptions and said some closures were done to accelerate work: “As my father would say, pull off the band aid, get it done,” he said, describing why crews sometimes close full intersections rather than staging half‑work at a time. He also said the city is coordinating detour signage and offered to supply graphics to affected businesses.

The mayor and staff framed the construction work as an investment in infrastructure. City officials said voters approved a wheel tax and surtax that start in 2026 and are projected by city staff to add roughly $3.6 million annually to road funding; staff also cited larger combined road revenues in the current and upcoming fiscal cycles and noted rising construction costs — about a 45% increase over five years — as a reason for the added revenue stream.

Questions from small business owners and residents at the meeting focused on pedestrian amenities in neighborhoods such as Homeplace, parking/wayfinding during closures and trail safety on the Monon Greenway. Kirk said adding sidewalks in Homeplace is not currently scheduled but remains on the city’s informal wish list; he said sidewalks are typically paired with stormwater projects to capture multiple benefits.

City staff also noted federal guidance constrains where stop signs may be used, and that alternatives such as micro‑roundabouts often slow traffic more effectively. Kirk encouraged businesses and residents to contact engineering staff for graphics and detour information during closures.

No formal votes were taken during the discussion; staff provided timing estimates for lane openings and closures and emphasized the projects’ expected safety and multi‑modal benefits once complete.