Indianapolis Department of Public Works has piloted reflective pavement coatings on selected residential streets to lower surface temperatures, evaluating performance ahead of broader Thrive Indianapolis adoption recommendations for capital paving programs.
DPW joined a 2022 pilot funded partly by the Knauss Foundation applying reflective slurry seals on Mapleton-Fall Creek and Riverside Park residential streets. The pilots measured surface temperature reductions of 10 to 15 degrees during peak summer afternoons and tracked durability through Indiana's freeze-thaw cycles. Standard hot-mix asphalt under Indianapolis Code Ch. 731 remains the default specification, but DPW now considers reflective treatments in heat-vulnerable corridors identified in Thrive Indianapolis. Property owners cannot independently apply pavement coatings to public streets, but private parking lots may use light-colored aggregate without additional permit.
Unauthorized application of coatings to public streets violates Indianapolis Code Ch. 731 right-of-way rules and may incur restoration costs plus civil penalties up to $2,500 per occurrence.
See how Indianapolis's cool pavement rules stack up against other locations.
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