Indianapolis mass transit system no closer
The value of mass transit on a regional level has never been in question, for twenty years the city has been exploring the idea of an integrated mass transit system incorporating the city’s already existing bus system with light and heavy rail lines, with commuter (heavy) rail systems connecting the city of Indianapolis with the wider region and light rail providing an intra-city, urban transport service.
On paper the plans are impressive. Indianapolis news media reported in February 2010 that a proposal had been put forth by the Central Indiana Transit Task Force, a group made up of a number of local business leaders, to create a transport model that would see Indianapolis’ entire metropolitan area linked through an integrated system.
Using the Union Station in downtown Indianapolis as the central point, the all-roads-lead-to-Rome type model envisions a 17.5 mile light rail line running east-west from the airport in Plainfield through Union Station and east to Cumberland, a second 17-mile commuter rail line will run north east from Union Station to Fishers and a third 11-mile line will travel south south-east to Greenwood. These lines would be completed in stages: by 2025, by 2013 and 2018 respectively. In addition, the group called for expanded bus routes, bus lanes set aside on major roads and express bus systems introduced on certain routes (those bringing passengers into the city from areas outside the CDB).
The plan is ambitious, estimating a total cost of $1.2 billion. In 2008 light rail advocates had their hopes for progress on mass transit dashed when the city legislature turned down proposals for the establishment of a regional transport authority, which would designate certain districts as areas through which mass transit rail systems would pass and them take a portion of the sales tax revenue generated in those districts – the proposal was aimed at finding ways to generate the capital needed for mass transit development.
Money has been the major stumbling block. Indianapolis for decades has had a relatively traffic-jam free road network due to the relatively sparse population of the city, but strong growth has created an increasingly problematic traffic situation, which has created a desire in some quarters to spend money on road expansion instead of mass transit, which will take decades to develop.
There has been some traction though. In 2008, Indianapolis news media reported that a panel of Indianapolis region cities, Indianapolis Regional Transportation Council had voted in favor of moving ahead with a study of a possible light rail link along the traffic-plagued northeast route between Noblesville and downtown Indianapolis. The plan was called a ‘starter system’ and would cost $160 million to develop, with $2.5 million initially set aside for planning assessments and studies of the environmental impact (a pre-requisite if federal funding is to be requested).
It was reported that the starter system might be up and running by 2012. Nothing new has emerged though, and recent announcements by Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard suggest full support for an integrated mass transit system may be a long way off.
At the time of the approval for the starter system in 2008 Mayor Ballard was somewhat reticent telling Indianapolis news media, “I'm concerned about the ridership numbers and the funding so those things still need to be determined” though he added that the data collected by the assessment study will be needed either way.
Then in May of 2010 Mayor Ballard announced that $288 million had been set aside for investment in the city’s infrastructure. Mass transit pundits saw this as an indication of a lack of commitment but it has in fact been reported by Indianapolis news provider WSBT2 that $200 million is to be used to improve the city’s sewers (another victim of rapid growth) and storm drains while only $88 million will be spent on expansion of the city’s roads, as well as bridges and sidewalks.
The projects in large part are unrelated to the unresolved question of a mass transit system for Indianapolis and surrounding areas, but it does show the degree to which city finds are limited by a bad economy and a range of issues all requiring the attention of a beleaguered city treasury.
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Indianapolis Explorer
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Indianapolis mass transit system no closer
Indianapolis is the 14th largest city in the world, but in the area of mass transit, its ranked 100th in terms of the quality of public transport in the city and surrounding regional areas. This is a state of affairs that lawmakers and city leaders have acknowledged cannot last, but finding the money and the necessary will of leadership to implement the construction of a mass transit system has proven difficult and recent events suggest the project may never find traction.
The value of mass transit on a regional level has never been in question, for twenty years the city has been exploring the idea of an integrated mass transit system incorporating the city’s already existing bus system with light and heavy rail lines, with commuter (heavy) rail systems connecting the city of Indianapolis with the wider region and light rail providing an intra-city, urban transport service. Read more
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