Bike Indianapolis Intern Emory Lietz publishes thesis “Biking in Indianapolis: An Ethnographic Analysis of Obstacles and Solutions”

Congratulations to Emory Lietz, Bike Indianapolis’ 2021-2022 intern, for completing his honors thesis in preparation for graduation from Butler University later this May.

Emory’s thesis “Biking in Indianapolis: An Ethnographic Analysis of Obstacles and Solutions” brought together novice and experienced bike riders, advocates, urban planners and Indianapolis government employees to discuss cycling infrastructure and culture in the Circle City. Utilizing interviews and City-County transportation plans, Emory outlines Indianapolis’ ongoing journey to become a bike-friendly city and explores the conditions that riders enjoy, endure and avoid as well as the barriers that prevent new bike riders from getting in the saddle. By the end of the report, Emory offers solutions — informed by transportation best practices and government employees — to remove aforementioned barriers. This moment-in-time snapshot represents a significant piece of research regarding Indianapolis’ predominantly unstudied bike network and community.

During his time with Bike Indianapolis, Emory helped organize and lead four weekly community rides which provided Indianapolis residents with a safe and casual environment to bike with neighbors.

Read the abstract below or download Emory’s full thesis here.

Biking in Indianapolis: An Ethnographic Analysis of Obstacles and Solutions

Emory Lietz

Abstract

Indiana is known as the “Crossroads of America” for its historic investment in vehicle infrastructure. This focus on automobiles has shaped Indianapolis’s urban landscape, to the dismay of many cyclists. Based on semi-structured interviews with a range of stakeholders in the Indianapolis cycling community, including urban planners, bike commuters, IndyGo employees, city government officials, and bike advocates, this project identifies and evaluates the current barriers that prevent Indianapolis residents from riding their bikes. These obstacles, which include infrastructural, safety, and social factors, make it more difficult than it ought to be to bike in Indy. For my thesis project, I researched Bike Indianapolis’s Neighborhood Rides and Bike Guide partnerships, as well as Bike Party and other independently organized rides, which allow cyclists to build their skills and enthusiasm for biking. Additionally, I interviewed stakeholders with different areas of expertise, who had numerous suggestions about what would help further Indianapolis’s transition towards greater bike-friendliness, providing solutions to several of the challenges that riders face. The project captures a moment in Indianapolis’s history through the viewpoint of people passionate about cycling. Further, the solutions and suggestions in this paper can be used as a model for improving the city’s bikeability. My passion for cycling and my position as an intern for Bike Indianapolis make me cautiously optimistic for a brighter future of biking in Indy.