The Indianapolis Department of Public Works wants to close the last gap between the city's west side and downtown, proposing a two-mile extension of the B&O Trail that would run from West Michigan Street all the way to the White River Greenway. The idea is part of a newly completed Greenways Master Plan, and it would finish a corridor that volunteers first imagined more than three decades ago.
DPW spotlighted the B&O Trail Tuesday as part of a monthlong social media series called Trail Tuesday, which is highlighting individual segments of the city's greenway network, according to Indianapolis Department of Public Works on Facebook. The department also posted about the completed master plan Tuesday, per Indy DPW's Facebook page. The plan can be found by searching Greenways for All on Indy.gov.
As it stands today, the B&O Trail spans 7.5 miles connecting Indianapolis' near west side, Speedway, and Hendricks County, according to the department's post.
What the Two-Mile Extension Would Add
Under the Greenways Master Plan, the city would push the trail eastward from West Michigan Street to the White River Greenway, according to the same DPW post. Officials say those additional two miles would close the trail gap separating the west side from downtown and would expand non-vehicle transportation options for more than 1,000 west-side residents who currently rely on it.
The extension is also projected to bring trail access to 6,000 additional people and 10,000 additional jobs, per the department's announcement. City officials say the added connectivity could also support development of vacant or underused land along the corridor, though the dossier does not specify which parcels.
Three Decades in the Making
The push to link Hendricks County through Speedway into downtown Indianapolis has been building for a long time. Efforts to convert the former Baltimore & Ohio Railroad corridor began in 1994, according to the Encyclopedia of Indianapolis. The B&O Trail runs approximately 62 miles from downtown Indianapolis to Montezuma near the Illinois border.
That effort has picked up state and local momentum in recent years. In June 2023, the Indiana DNR and Speedway Trails Association opened a 1.9-mile B&O Trail extension through Speedway to Haughville, using a $4,893,479 Next Level Trails grant to build a pedestrian bridge across Eagle Creek, per the State of Indiana. That project extended the trail from Allison Way to Michigan Street.
Then in October 2025, state and local officials celebrated completion of a larger 6.16-mile B&O Trail expansion across Marion and Hendricks counties, backed by $9,476,529 in Next Level Trails grants split between the Speedway Trails Association and the B&O Trail Association, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. That state program represents a $180 million investment in trail infrastructure statewide.
Engineering Around Flooding and Traffic
Building the trail hasn't been simple. To address severe storm flooding along new west-side segments, the B&O Trail Association partnered with Citizens Energy Group, which contributed $400,000 for sewer tanks beneath new trail sections to reduce flooding, according to Mirror Indy. Stormwater runoff had previously threatened nearby homes and the trail pavement itself.
The city also had to reshape a downtown street to make the final connection work. To link the eastern end of the B&O Trail at Michigan Street to the White River Greenway, Indianapolis executed a $4.7 million road diet on West Michigan Street, cutting six vehicle lanes down to two and adding a protected bike lane completed in 2024, according to Indy.gov. The federally assisted project also added ADA curb ramps and transit stop upgrades in the Near Westside.
A Bigger Vision for Marion County
A Bigger Vision for Marion County The B&O extension is just one piece of a much larger ambition. The new Greenways for All master plan proposes expanding the county's greenway network so more than 80% of county residents would live within a mile of a trail, per Indy DPW's Facebook page. The plan also addresses the county's broader greenway network.
The plan also calls for new lateral routes, including a Little Eagle Creek Greenway that would run from the B&O Trail in Speedway north to the Northtown Trail, according to Indy.gov. The broader plan envisions additional trail routes across Marion County.
Connectivity Behind the Push
The expansion push would add connectivity. The B&O Trail is part of the city's greenway network.
Residents interested in the Greenways Master Plan, including the proposed B&O Trail extension, can search Greenways for All on Indy.gov or review the plan directly through the city's website.
