Cemetery to cyclists: Slow down

With scenic rolling hills, winding trails, smooth pavement and a tranquility only the dearly departed can provide, Crown Hill Cemetery has long been a favorite destination for bicyclists.

But a series of incidents, including a serious bicycling accident and disruptions of two graveside burials, have forced the cemetery to issue rules of the road for the first time.

The rules ban riding down one side of Crown Hill, the highest point in Marion County, impose a speed limit of 24 mph and close the cemetery to cyclists on Veterans and Memorial days, the busiest visiting days of the year.

Cemetery President Keith Norwalk said the guidelines are to respect the privacy of mourners and keep everyone safe. Though Edward “Cannonball” Baker — winner of the first motorized competition at Indianapolis Motor Speedway — is buried there, it doesn’t give cyclists license to barrel through private services, he said.

“We’ve always been welcoming of competitive cyclers and families, as well, and we’d like to keep it that way,” Norwalk said. “But after those few incidents, we decided we needed to make people accountable.”

The cemetery has 25 miles of paved road stretching from 42nd Street to 32nd Street just east of Michigan Road. Its shady lanes are popular on weekends with bicycling families and picnickers. But the main attraction for serious riders is the 842.2- foot- high hill south of 38th street, topped by the grave of Indiana poet and author James Whitcomb Riley.

In February, however, a cyclist broke her collar bone and suffered a concussion when she crashed at the bottom of the hill. In two other instances, pairs of cyclists rode between parked cars lining the roads during graveside ceremonies. One was at a mausoleum near the top of the hill and a mourner was brushed by the cyclist.

“I was there both times, and it was unbelievable to me,” Norwalk said.

He said after the accident, he temporarily forbade riding up the hill and arranged meetings with the cycling group IndyCog. The two sides reached a compromise about a week ago.

KELLY WILKINSON Several accidents forced Crown Hill Cemetery, a popular biking spot, to ban riding in one area and add other rules.