Chatham Arch Neighborhood Disrupted by 'Bottleworks Bump'

Richard Sullivan takes great pride in his historic home, built in 1903 near the intersection of 9th Street and College Avenue. He's lived there since 1988, but recently, he's been dealing with a problem he calls the "Bottleworks Bump."

“It causes my house to shake hundreds of times a day. Every truck, hauling gravel with a loose back gate, just makes a huge ka-thump," Sullivan said.

The issue is related to a speed table installed at the intersection, which is supposed to slow down vehicles gradually. However, Sullivan claims that it hasn't had the desired effect and cars often exceed the 15 mph speed limit in this area.

“It hasn’t slowed traffic at all, which is supposedly the goal," he said.

Cicely Mays, a former resident who used to live off College Avenue, has also experienced the dangers of the intersection firsthand. She now avoids the area entirely and is concerned for others walking around Bottleworks.

“There are a lot of people here. People who have dogs, families. Not everybody can park in this area, so they may have to park further and walk," she said.

The Chatham Arch Neighborhood Association voted unanimously in 2022 to request the removal of the speed table, but it remains in place. Sullivan is frustrated with the lack of action and feels that his quality of life has been severely impacted.

“It’s nobody taking responsibility, and we neighbors in the historic neighborhood are having a permanently ruined quality of life and can’t sleep in our beds," Sullivan said.

The Indianapolis Department of Public Works was reached out to regarding the issue. A spokesperson stated that this is a high foot traffic area and the speed table was an important addition due to the rapid development of the Bottleworks District, but noted that the department is not currently responsible for the installation, as it was constructed by Hendricks Commercial Properties.

“We want them to take responsibility and remove this awful mistake. They’ve made a thousand good design decisions. This bad one, if they would just make it go away, that would be great," Sullivan said.