Bill proposes mass transit plan for central Indiana

In the late 1800s, Indianapolis was referred to as the “Railroad City,” having an abundance of rail lines. More than 200 passenger trains traveled through the city during a given day.

Since then, passenger rails have become close to non-existent in central Indiana, with the exception of an Amtrak line. A group of community members and legislators are trying to change that, along with implementing other mass transit improvements.

Indiana House Bill 1011 would allow 10 counties in the Indianapolis metropolitan area to have a public referendum to let voters decide if they want to pay up to a 0.3-percent income tax, which would fund the local share of mass transit.

The bill passed in the House 56-39 and moved to the Tax and Fiscal Committee before it can go to the rest of the Senate.

IndyConnect, an initiative of the Central Indiana Regional Transportation Authority, IndyGo and the Metropolitan Development Organization, proposed a $1.3-billion expansion spanning 10 years. About $600 million  of the project is expected to be federally funded.

The IndyConnect plan includes adding a 22-mile rail line from Noblesville to downtown Indianapolis and adding bus rapid transit routes with limited stops from Cumberland, Ind.,to the Indianapolis International Airport, from Greenwood to Carmel and from the
University of Indianapolis to Carmel.

Ron Gifford, executive director of IndyConnect, said at least four of the five corridors would have bus rapid transit technology, dedicated lanes for buses and traffic signal prioritization.

“In order to build and operate the Indy Connect Transit System as it is proposed, we need a new revenue source,” Gifford said.

Gifford said he thinks the transit plan is important enough that local voters should weigh in on it.

“HB 1011 is absolutely silent about the plan itself,” Gifford said. “We’re not asking the General Assembly to weigh in on the plan itself. We’re simply saying to give us the tools we need in order to be able to make these investments at the local level.”

The transit agency would exist in 10 Indiana counties. There are no existing plans for the transit to expand to Monroe County.

Sen. Mark Stoops, D-Bloomington, said he hopes Monroe County could eventually tag on to the plan.  

Stoops said he proposed a bill last session that would have expanded mass transit in Monroe County but never made it through.

“I’ll try again next year until I get some type of expanded transit option to Monroe County,” Stoops said.

Stoops said he thinks HB 1011  gives Hamilton and Marion County residents the ability to have a referendum on a ballot.

“It gives them local control of what could happen with the mass transit system,” Stoops said.

Stoops said Indiana has probably one of the most mass transit opportunity needs of cities its size and larger.

“Expanding transit in our region would be important because Bloomington and Monroe County have 15,000 people that commute into Bloomington every day,” Stoops said.

Tim Maloney, senior policy director for the Hoosier Environmental Council, said their public transportation will do more than transport.

“We definitely think it has a variety of environmental and energy benefits, which is one of the main reasons we support it,” Maloney said.

Maloney said that through public transit, citizens become less dependent on oil from other countries.

“Transit represents a more efficient use of land, so that puts less development pressure on open spaces,” Maloney said.

Maloney said the HEC strongly believes Indiana needs to diversify its transportation investments and invest in alternatives to highways for the surrounding residents.

“It’s putting the future of transportation in the hands of the people that live there,” he said.

Rep. Kreg Battles, D-Vincennes, said although he supports mass transit, HB 1011 is narrowly focused.

“I’ve seen all too often that this isn’t a venue for expansion,” Battles said. “It becomes the end all be all and stops right there.”

Battles said the legislature needs to come up with a list of mass transit needs across the state, whether it be bus, high speed or commuter rail.

“I have significant concerns that this will be a one-time concern and will be pleased enough and that mass transit concerns across the state will be ignored,” Battles said.

Gifford said if other communities have a consensus about improving their own transit systems, they should have the ability to improve the systems. That improvement, Gifford said, is sorely needed.

“We have the 83rd largest bus system in America,” Gifford said. “For a city of our size, that is borderline insane.”