The overall objective of the Transportation Plan is to offer a system of transportations that will allow for the safe movement of people and commodities, quickly, economically, and conveniently between all points of the town and the surrounding area to provide a reasonable choice of facilities and routes.
The New Palestine area is part of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) area. The Indianapolis MPO is responsible for the Transportation Improvement Plan that contains all future roadway improvements for the planning area. There are no major projects planned for the New Palestine/Sugar Creek Twp area through 2035.
It was decided to follow the recommendations from the Hancock County updated comprehensive plan for all transportation related needs for the Town of New Palestine. These recommendations are shown for the following categories of roadways, bikeways, trails, and public transportation in the maps on the preceding pages.
HANCOCK COUNTY TRANSPORTATION PLAN
Roadways
The updated Hancock County Transportation Plan has designated roadways in and around New Palestine as such:
US 52/600 W
These roadways have been designated as a Major Arterial. Major Arterials are those Federal or state routes of regional importance. This includes such roads as U.S. 40, U.S. 52, State Road 9, and State Road 67. These roadways are intended to move large volumes of traffic between the communities within Hancock County, as well as to surrounding counties. While these roads are not intended to be limited access, like Freeways, access control standards should be utilized to ensure that these corridors remain safe and efficient.
500 W
This roadway has been designated as a Minor Arterial. Minor Arterials include several State routes of lesser significance as well as some County roads which serve high volumes of traffic. Examples of these roads would be State Road 234 or County Road 600 West (Mt. Comfort Road). These road corridors should also be subject to access control measures as development occurs along them.
400 W/700 W/300 S/W Stinemyer Rd
Major Collectors are county roads that play significant roles in moving traffic between Arterial roadways, as well as funneling traffic from residential areas to the greater road network. Examples of Major Collectors in the county would include County Roads 600 East or 300 North. This category also includes roads built within new subdivisions which serve to gather traffic from neighborhood streets and direct it to the larger roads in the system.
W Stinemyer Road is indicated in the Hancock County Plan to have future improvements extending the roadway east from 550 W to 500 W. There are currently no plans for this extension with the Hancock County Highway Department.
All other roads in New Palestine and in the surrounding area are considered Local Roads. Local Roads are County roads that are not designated as Arterials or Collectors within the Thoroughfare Plan hierarchy. They typically carry low volumes of traffic and driveway access is not strictly controlled. These roads move traffic over short distances at relatively low speeds, connecting travelers with the wider network of roads. This category also includes streets within subdivisions that serve primarily as access points for residential development. Right-of-way standards for these roads are the lowest for any of the categories, although in the case of subdivision streets, more improvements (such as curbs, sidewalks, or street trees) should be required.
US 52 Critical Corridor
Even though INDOT has no plans for improvements along US 52, the Hancock County Comprehensive Plan lists the US 52 corridor as one of their Critical Corridors:
The US 52 corridor runs through the southwest corner of Hancock County. It passes through the town of New Palestine, a community that is not a member of the Area Plan Commission. A widening of this roadway to four lanes from the west county line to the east side of New Palestine should be planned and implemented for future development. Residential development has occurred in the vicinity of the corridor, and larger-scale commercial development is beginning to occur as well. This corridor provides an important linkage between New Palestine and Indianapolis, a relationship that is reflected in the pending roadway improvements.
Development Policies
• Land Use: Development should occur primarily within and around New Palestine. Adjacent to the corridor, more intense-mixed use development is appropriate as the town grows outward. Development along the U.S. 52 corridor should focus on the area west of New Palestine in the near future, while the segment east of the town should be reserved for similar mixed use growth over the long term. The main focus of commercial development should be at the intersection of U.S. 52 and Mount Comfort Road.
• Design: As a gateway to Hancock County, high standards for building materials, architectural details, landscaping, signage, and other site amenities should be emphasized.
• Access Management: Careful management of highway access will be crucial as development continues so that local and regional travel can be accommodated efficiently. Large-scale developments should provide cross-access facilities to reduce traffic pressure on the main corridor.
• Town Character: Development along the corridor that is immediately adjacent to New Palestine should reflect the character of the town and have convenient pedestrian connections to existing neighborhoods and the town center.
In addition, other categories of transportation need to be considered in the Transportation Plan as well:
Public Transportation
Hancock County does have a countywide public transportation system. Non-emergency transportation for various destinations is provided by Hancock County Senior Services (HCSS) for county residents 60 years of age and over and by Hancock Area Rural Transit (HART) for residents under 60 years of age. Vehicles are available Monday to Friday from 7AM to 5PM. Wheelchair transportation is also available. Appointments are scheduled first come-first served.
The Town should also work with Hancock County and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization to improve the public transportation system for the region and New Palestine.
Railroads
Hancock County currently has two operational railroad lines. The southern line that travels (in part) from Indianapolis to Cincinnati through New Palestine is used for freight by CSX.
Airport Access
New Palestine is approximately 28 miles from the Indianapolis International Airport. Residents can take US 52 to I-465 to I -70 to access the airport.
Bikeways, Trails and Walking Paths
Hancock County has no official trails plan, but instead uses information from the Indianapolis MPO's Central Indiana Regional Bikeways Plan. The only trails planned for the Hancock County area according to this plan is the Pennsy Trail extension in Cumberland.
Several multi-use path projects have been completed within close proximity to the Town of New Palestine. A multi-use path exists at the Sugar Creek Township Park and the Town of Cumberland has constructed a multi-use path on the old Pennsy railroad corridor from German Church Road to Mt. Comfort Road (CR S 600 W). The City of Greenfield has created a multi-use path on the old Pennsy Corridor from CR S 150 W to CR S 400 E and efforts are underway to try and connect the two communities via a path along the abandoned railroad corridor.
Fortunately, New Palestine had a Bike & Pedestrian Plan commissioned in 2015. The Plan identified the best routes for making connections to destinations within the Town as well as to residential neighborhoods. The plan includes a conceptual network of on road bicycle facilities, sidewalks, and multi-use trails. Recommendations were made on programs and policies for the Town to implement that will help support walking and biking.
The Plan has its own Goals & Objectives centered on health and wellness issues as well as connectivity and funding mechanisms. These are integrated into the Action Plan and will be referenced to for more detailed implementation measures.
The finalized Bike & Pedestrian Plan proposes to improve 11 corridors. Two different types of bicycle and pedestrian treatments are proposed to strengthen the bicycle and pedestrian routes. The Plan uses shared roadways and shard-use paths for this purpose as seen in the final route map.
New Palestine Bike & Pedestrian Plan map
TRANSPORTATION POLICY
Goal:
Strive to make the community connected by all means of transportation modes which will enhance the growth and development of the community.
Objectives:
• Provide pedestrian and bicycle connections between important destinations.
• Improve local roadways to aid commerce in the transport of goods through the community.
• Educate community on availability of public transportation.
• Continued maintenance and improvements to local road system.
• Work with the Indiana Department of Transportation and the Hancock County Highway Department to improve major roads in and surrounding New Palestine.