The Indianapolis Office of Sustainability and the Indianapolis Department of Public Works - Environmental Resources Management team will host an electronics recycling event on Earth Day, Saturday, April 22 at Riverside Park (2420 Riverside Drive). Similar events in recent years have drawn hundreds of attendees and diverted thousands of pounds of electronic material from the landfill.

Today the City of Indianapolis announced the release of the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for professional services regarding solid waste service procurement and transition. This RFQ calls for qualified firms or teams to assist the Department of Public Works (Indy DPW) in procuring contracts for all solid waste and recycling services.

Indianapolis building owners and facilities managers of structures 100,000 square feet or larger have the opportunity this spring to attend free, guided workshops where they can learn how to begin tracking their utility data in the free ENERGYSTAR Portfolio Manager software program. The three in-person workshops, referred to as "Data Jams" are hosted by the City's Office of Sustainability with technical support provided by the American Institute of Architects Indiana.

The 30,000 trees included in this tally have been planted within Marion County public right-of-way since the benchmark in 2018 and include trees planted by the Department of Public Works' Urban Forestry, Land Stewardship, and Engineering programs, the Department of Parks and Recreation, as well as those planted via the City's partnership with KIB, IUPUI, Downtown Indy, trees planted via Citizen Energy Group's 10,000 Trees Initiative with KIB, and AES Indiana's Trees For Indy program.

“Wellness in Transit is about making sure our riders, along with all Marion County residents, have access to essential resources that positively affect their health and overall well-being,” IndyGo President and CEO Inez Evans said in a statement. “The program’s pilot period proved how impactful these services are for our community."

The training program will focus on certifying students with one state and 15 federal certifications in lead and asbestos removal, eliminating mold, testing and analyzing samples, and handling emergency remediation. Most of the students in the program have not completed high school or obtained a high school equivalency and are returning to society after being incarcerated at a young age.

The City of Indianapolis and Health by Design will receive $50,000 in Accelerated Mobility Playbook (AMP) technical assistance from City Thread. This assistance includes a community-specific mobility audit of the city’s current state of practice and an action plan for improved implementation and partnership.  

After roadway deaths surged, the Indiana city set up a commission to review what’s causing fatal crashes — and make public recommendations on how to fix it. After police finish their investigation of fatal crashes, Indianapolis’ new Fatal Crash Review Commission steps in to scrutinize the incident.

There is no formal presentation at the Open House. Experts will help residents understand flood risk and flood insurance. They can also explain floodplain development regulations and the mapping process. Residents can meet with experts one-on-one to look at their own addresses on the new maps. They will learn about their specific risk. They will also learn how to help prevent flood loss.

So just how are people across the city packaging their grocery items? Have they latched onto reusable bags, are they stuck on plastic, or are they meeting in the middle with paper? We did a little study of our own to find out. And there was a clear winner: Plastic rules the day. 

Soul Food Project Indy and Felege Hiywot Center both train inner-city youth by providing a hands-on urban farming experience. The two organizations also helps them develop skills to become active community members.

Trees should be dropped off only at the specially designated area within the park, and only between dawn and dusk. Please check the list carefully as the selected parks locations vary from year-to-year and the site you brought your tree to last year may no longer be a site. Dropping off trees at locations not listed below is considered illegal dumping and is punishable by fines of up to $3,000. 

The goal for establishing universal curbside recycling was set for 2026 because that’s when the city is due to renegotiate contracts with the two hauling contractors, the incinerator service and the landfill. There will also be a long-overdue realignment of the sanitation districts, said Abbey Brands, deputy director of policy and planning for the Department of Public Works.

Exploring new public policy such as carbon credits can be challenging. Barth said he wants to make thoughtful, impactful decisions versus making decisions because something sounds exciting, which is why the council is looking at what it considers successful carbon credit programs in Seattle and Austin, Texas. .

INDOT says there are three complementary pathways to reduce carbon dioxide in transportation, including reducing total fuel consumption of on-road vehicles, mitigate traffic congestion and shift towards “more fuel efficient modes,” including public transportation, walking and biking.

“We’re striving towards creating healthier and more resilient communities with Thrive Indianapolis, our sustainability and resilience action plan, and using more renewable energy is a key part of our long-term sustainability goals,” Mickelson said in written remarks. “The city of Indianapolis is interested in more clean energy choices that not only improve the quality of life for our communities, but also spurs the investments needed to lower energy costs long-term for our city.”

But the department recognizes the widened road poses a temptation for even the dazed and confused. So the department's newly created trails team is working on a permanent solution ― some kind of treatment that is consistent across the entire Monon through Indianapolis, while allowing for maintenance vehicles to access the trail.

The city announced Monday that $20 million will be spent on improvements to West Washington Street from Holt Road to Lynhurst Drive—making up a portion of the $50 million that IndyGo had promised to spend before an October board decision to alter plans for the Blue Line rapid-transit bus line.

Indianapolis has been recognized by CDP as one of 122 cities and counties across the globe taking bold leadership on environmental action and transparency, despite the pressures of a challenging global situation. Indianapolis has disclosed environmental impact data through CDP since 2015; this is the fifth time it has received an A rating. Designed to encourage and support local governments to ramp up their climate action and ambition, CDP's Cities A List is based on environmental data disclosed by local governments to CDP-ICLEI Track.

Dozens of residents voiced opposition to the project during a town hall meeting Wednesday night. “We have been going through the motions because they don’t listen to what we are saying, we have been going through the motions ever since this has started,” said Mike Mooney, who has lived in Rocky Ripple for 32 years.