Michigan & New York are 2-way Streets!
Two-way traffic on Michigan Street on Indianapolis’s near east side is open between College Avenue and Ellenberger Park as of August 2025. More specifically, two-way travel starts at the west end at Highland Avenue and ends at East Pleasant Run Parkway.
The Michigan and New York Street Two-Way Conversion Project converted these streets from one-way to two-way, in addition to improving sidewalks, curbs, and crosswalks to enhance safety for pedestrians and cyclists, according to Indy.gov. The full conversion is complete, and the street is open for two-way traffic along the entire corridor.
IPD asked the neighborhood to remind area residents not to park or put their trash bins on bike lanes, as they will begin ticketing for these actions.
Why is this happening?
New York and Michigan streets were designed for two-way traffic about 50 years ago. But when the RCA manufacturing plant in Sherman Park employed 6,500 workers, these roads were overwhelmed with drivers. The city converted the streets into one-way streets to shorten the commute time.
RCA closed in 1995, but the streets remained one-way despite the decline in traffic.
In 2007, a near eastside neighborhood group developed a community plan to turn Michigan and New York streets back to their original state. It is hoped that conversion back to two-way streets will lead to lower speeds by drivers. With the addition of bike lanes and improved sidewalks and curbs, it is anticipated that more cyclists and pedestrians will use the updated streets.
