PROGRAMS

ADOPT-A-MEDIAN

Beautifying Indy's Roads

Managed through a partnership between Keep Indianapolis Beautiful and the City of Indianapolis

Click here to fill out the Adopt-A-Median Partner Agreement

There are over 650 medians in Marion County, half of which are begging to be adopted. These grassy strips of land in the center of the street are a great advertising opportunity!

Unadopted medians are maintained by the city, but many have been adopted by neighborhood associations, garden clubs, businesses, churches, organizations or individuals. Our adopters often do more than just mow the medians, they beautify them with plants and trees, and in turn they get a sign on the median with their name prominently displayed.

These adopted medians become powerful symbols of the pride that people take in their community. Just imagine driving down the streets of Indianapolis all lined with trees, plants and colorful flowers rather than concrete! What a beautiful sight!

Why adopt a median?
Keep Indianapolis Beautiful believes that medians are important not only in keeping our streets looking aesthetically pleasing, but also in helping improve the air and water quality of the local environment. Increasing the amount of trees, shrubs, and green space in our city helps absorb carbon dioxide and pollutants from the air, provides shade, reduces heat and glare from the concrete, helps reduce erosion and storm water runoff and provides economic value to neighborhoods. Visitors and residents alike will appreciate your efforts. Did you know that studies indicate that well maintained landscapes in public places give citizens a feeling of safety and security? Plus you are helping to reduce city spending by volunteering your labor.

Keep Indianapolis Beautiful’s mission is to make a viable, sustainable impact on the lives of residents in the Indianapolis area and the neighborhoods in which they live. Through active partnerships with businesses, neighborhoods, youth, schools and government, we engage citizens in beautifying the city, improving the quality of the environment and fostering pride in the community. We want to partner with you to do just that!

Of the over 650 medians in Indianapolis, only half are adopted. KIB is looking for people to adopt these green spaces and to plant, mow, pick up trash and to care for them to help beautify the streets of Indianapolis. You are encouraged, but not required to add plants to the median.

So how does one get involved?

1. Locate a median in your area that has not already been adopted.
2. Contact KIB about joining the adopt-a-median program.
3. Determine your maintenance, mowing and/or landscape plan.
4. Select a name for your sign
5. Complete and sign an annual agreement to maintain the median.
6. Mail or fax your agreement for the approval process.

Once a person has been approved as a median adopter, a sign with their name will be installed on the median. Median adopters receive safety and planting tips from KIB and there is an annual contest each June for the most beautifully planted median. Winners receive recognition in KIB newsletters and marketing materials and a sign topper noting the award is put on the median sign for all to see.

We recognize that not all individuals, community groups, or non-profit organizations have the money to landscape their median as they might hope to. Therefore, we have included the median program in our annual beautification grant process to help provide funding and resources to median adopters. Applications are due each fall.

Click here for more information:

Suggested plant material for medians

Plant care and maintenance advice

Safety Tips for median care

Median contact information:

Mark Adler, Adopt-A-Median Manager
Keep Indianapolis Beautiful
1029 Fletcher Avenue, Suite 100
Indianapolis, IN 46203
Office: 317-264-7555 ext. 105
Fax: 317-264-7565
madler@kibi.org

2011 Adopt-A-Median Partnership Agreement

Organization Adopting Median: *

Adopt-A-Median sign to read as (due to size constraints, please keep it short, text will be in all caps for legibility): *

This Agreement, between Keep Indianapolis Beautiful ("KIB"), the City of Indianapolis Department of Public Works ("City"), and name of individual, company, or organization responsible for median to be adopted ("Adopter") is to provide a means of beautifying and maintaining the median at the following location:

Street Name: *

Approximate 100 block (include N, S, E, W) *

Between which cross streets *

Nearest recognizable landmark (usually a business) *

Adopter responsibilities before signing and returning this Agreement:

If Adopter wishes to beautify the median in addition to keeping it mown and free of litter, Adopter shall submit a landscape plan. This plan will be reviewed by the Indianapolis Parks Department. Adopters plan must be approved before Adopter begins improvements. Some proposed improvements may require a permit.

Adopter responsibilities after both Adopter and KIB have signed this Agreement:

1. Secure all permits related to planting and working in the city right-of-way. 2. Cut the grass on a regular basis, keeping the grass in the median(s) at or under a height of five (5) inches. 3. Keep shrubs pruned and neatly trimmed. Make sure plant/flower beds are regularly mulched, weeded, and watered. 4. Inspect the adopted median(s) on a weekly basis (including the winter) and remove weeds, debris, broken glass, and litter from the median(s). This includes both the grassy and concrete areas of the adopted median. 5. Repair, remove, or replace, at Adopters expense, any damaged or destroyed median plantings. In addition, repair, at Adopters expense, damage done to the grassy median surface by adding soil to and replanting grass in the damaged area(s) to return median to its pre-damaged condition. 6. Adopter shall note that all items, including signage and flora, may be subject to City ordinances and regulations, including but not limited to, Section 701. Upon planting, all flora is subject to the control of the Parks Department and, after a period of one (1) year, becomes the property of City. Removal of flora in violation of any applicable laws, ordinances, and/or regulations may subject Adopter to the penalties provided thereunder. 7. Provide one contact person, over the age of 18, who shall be responsible for coordinating all contacts and work. 8. Abide by all safety guidelines.

No more than one double-sided sign stating that the median has been "adopted" will be placed on any median. Only signs provided by City are permitted on medians. No commercial, promotional, or political signs or religious symbols of any kind are allowed on medians. No non-organic decorations such as flags, garden decorations, or art/sculpture are allowed on medians. City will provide and place, at no cost to Adopter, a text only sign. Signs requiring anything other than text, a company logo for example, will incur a $100.00 fee (check payable to Department of Public Works, Operations) due at the time of signing of Agreement. City may waive this fee for any not for profit organization with 501-C3 status supplying a tax exempt ID number. Adopter shall not place its own sign on the median.

Termination / Term of Agreement

The median(s) shall remain the property of City. If, in the judgment of KIB or City, it is found that Adopter is not meeting the terms and conditions of this Agreement, KIB's Adopt-a-Median Program Manager may terminate this Agreement and remove all signage. City reserves the right to change or cancel the location of Adopter's median(s) for any reason. Adopter has the right to terminate this Agreement with 30 days notice in writing to the KIB Adopt-a-Median Program Manager. This Agreement shall be in effect when signed by both KIB and Adopter. Agreements signed prior to October 1st shall remain in effect until December 31 of the year signed, unless terminated earlier in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. Agreements signed after October 1st shall remain in effect until December 31 of the following year, unless terminated earlier in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. Renewal Agreements requesting signatures for re-adoption will be mailed in the fall of the year that the Agreement expires. Re-adoption is not guaranteed. Any renewal Agreement not received by KIB by the end January of the following year will be terminated, and the adopted signage will be removed from those medians. Adopter shall not perform any work in the median(s) that it adopted under this Agreement upon expiration or termination of this Agreement. Any work performed in those medians after expiration or termination of this Agreement is unauthorized and is done at Adopter's own risk. *Please note: City will continue mowing Adopter's median until Adopter's sign is posted. Once the sign is posted, Adopter shall begin its responsibilities. Adopter agrees that its volunteers and/or agents are not acting as agents or employees of Keep Indianapolis Beautiful or the City of Indianapolis, and also agrees to release Keep Indianapolis Beautiful and the City of Indianapolis from any liability arising hereunder.

Please complete the following areas below:

Name *

First Name

Last Name

Address *

Street Address
Address 2
City	State	Zip

Phone Number *

()

E-mail *

Adopt-A-Median Safety Guidelines

1. Workers should work only during daylight hours. 2. Work should be scheduled during light traffic times 3. Workers should wear reflective or light colored clothing for increased visibility (orange safety vests are highly recommended). 4. One person should be designated as crew leader and shall instruct all workers on proper safety procedures. 5. Children under 15 years old shall be closely supervised by an adequate number of adults. 6. Access to a first aid kit must be readily available. 7. All workers and equipment shall be in or on the median. No lanes of traffic are to be blocked or diverted. Avoid standing or walking in curb lanes. 8. All Workers should be alert and use common sense at all times, including but not limited to: Avoid the use of headsets, Avoid overexertion and have plenty of water available on hot days Sunscreen is recommended for sunny days Make sure you have the proper tools you need Face on-coming traffic as much as possible Do not back tools, arms, legs, or yourself into traffic Caution, many trucks have large mirrors that might hang over the median