There’s only one park in Bloomington that has a road running directly through it, but starting March 13, vehicles will no longer be able to access a section of Old State Road 37 North that runs through Lower Cascades Park.
The Bloomington Board of Public Works unanimously approved a six-month pilot study at its Tuesday meeting that involves converting Old State Road 37 North through Lower Cascades Park to a pedestrian and bicycle-only trail. The road will be converted into a trail from the Rogers Group quarry entrance to the north side of the playground. The project will begin March 13 and end Sept. 30.
There will be a kickoff event March 28 at the park, involving a 100-meter kids’ dash and a one-mile run/walk for all ages, according to a press release from the City of Bloomington.
Paula McDevitt, director of Bloomington Parks and Recreation, said the pilot study comes after improvements were made to the park in 2018, such as additional trails. The department then began looking at how else they could make the park better.
The closure will connect the trails at Lower Cascades Park to Miller Showers Park, which is between North Walnut Street and College Avenue.
People who went to Lower Cascades Park were surveyed last March to find out how they use the park and how they get there. The survey was evenly split between people who drove there and people who biked, ran or walked. The survey didn’t include information about people’s opinions about turning the road into a pedestrian and bicycle-only trail, and McDevitt said the department wanted to use this pilot study to get that information.
McDevitt said the temporary change is meant to create an experience people haven’t had before in the park.
“It’s a way to encourage people to use the park in a different way,” she said.
McDevitt said drivers often use the road as an alternate route to avoid traffic on North Walnut Street. A study conducted in May 2018 found the average daily traffic was 942 cars and the mean speed was 29 mph. The posted speed in the park is 20 mph.
A few Bloomington residents expressed their agreement with the pilot study. Mark Stosberg, member of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Commission, said he’s glad the road is being changed so he and his children can use it without having to deal with cars while they’re walking or biking.
“I think this will be a great asset that will make for a safe and enjoyable experience,” Stosberg said.
The board and members of the public expressed concerns about North Walnut Street not having sufficient sidewalks for people to use to get to the parks. Beth Rosenbarger, planning services manager in Planning and Transportation, said there aren’t any numbers on how many people walk and bike to the park, but she understands North Walnut Street needs fixed so people can get to the park safely.
“The situation and infrastructure could be improved,” Rosenbarger said. “I think it’s something we need to continue to look at.”
There will be signs posted around the park to help people navigate where they can park their car. Parking lots will be at both ends of Lower Cascades Park and there will be spaces to parallel park. Barriers at both ends of the park will keep vehicles from driving through. The parking lot near the waterfall shelter past the drive-through creek crossing will no longer be accessible by car, but the parking lots on both ends of the playground will still be open.
QR codes will be posted at the ends of the park as well so people can take a survey on how they feel about the road closure. The survey will also be available at the park’s website, and McDevitt said people can call with concerns.
McDevitt said she is unsure whether or not the road will continue to be blocked for vehicles after September and that it will depend on visitors' feedback.
