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Winchester officials question citizen bike-route stencils and seek INDOT guidance
Summary
City staff notified the Board of Works about a citizen-led bike-route marking project linking Southside Park to Goodrich Park; board members raised concerns about stencils placed in travel lanes, liability, and whether painting state roads requires INDOT approval.
A proposed bike-route marking project led by Main Street volunteers drew questions from the Winchester Board of Works about safety, liability and whether state permission is required.
Sheen, a sanitation staff member who briefed the board, said the plan would place stencils and signs to connect Southside Park and Goodrich Park along a railroad‑based route. “We’re just going to put some stencils on the ground that outlines that route and some signs,” Sheen said, adding that locates have been called and stencils and signs are in the shop.
Several board members said they were surprised by details about putting bicycle symbols in the middle of travel lanes and asked whether an ordinance or permit is needed. One member said a stencil painted in the roadway could confuse drivers and cited concerns about parking and narrow streets. “To me the stencils are confusing because a stencil on the road is saying something — it’s a turn lane, it’s a straight lane,” a board member said.
Staff said they would check with legal counsel and INDOT and bring the matter to the full council on Monday for review; they noted the city cannot paint State Road 32. Sheen said the project had been discussed by Main Street and bicycle enthusiasts and that county partners and other groups had been involved in planning.
Board members agreed to research the liability and permitting questions before permitting on‑street markings or any designation that could be interpreted as an official bike lane.
