CICP News & Updates

An excellent editorial in the Indianapolis Star (reprinted below) making the case for a truly regional, integrated mass transit system along the lines of what’s been proposed by the Central Indiana Transit Task Force.  (The plan is discussed on this blog here and here, specific details on the plan and the Indy Connect public input campaign can be found here.)

The key to moving on mass transit

It's easy to be cynical about yet another proposal to construct a mass transit system in Central Indiana. As The Star's Erika Smith documented on Tuesday, plans to build rail lines or improve the city's abysmal bus service have arrived one after another, and then quietly departed, for three decades.

Now, however, a new pitch -- the most comprehensive one to date -- to build not only rail and bus lines but also expand roads and bike trails appears to have a better chance for success than any of the earlier proposals.

That's because residents appear ready to embrace mass transit in sufficient numbers to make it feasible and because powerful business leaders, rather than bureaucrats, are helping to push the idea.

Both factors are key to persuading legislators in the General Assembly and members of local city and county councils to approve a funding mechanism, whether it's through a sales tax increase or another method to raise money.

Central Indiana is far behind most metropolitan areas when it comes to public transportation. Indianapolis' bus system is the worst in the nation, not only in regard to size but also service. It's simply not possible for most residents in the region to use IndyGo, the only form of mass transit now available, to commute to work, school or play.

Central Indiana's elected leaders and the residents they represent have repeatedly refused to face up to the need for mass transit. As a result, while Charlotte, Minneapolis, Portland, Salt Lake City and St. Louis moved forward by building attractive and practical transportation systems, Indianapolis stood still.

Some residents may believe they've been frugal in avoiding the expense of rail and bus lines, but the lack of public transportation comes with multiple costs. It's one of the reasons why Indianapolis' air quality is among the worst in the nation. An inability to commute to and from work separates potential employees, especially those with few resources, from prospective employers. And young urban professionals are less likely to live and work in Indianapolis given the lack of transportation options.

The region has one more chance -- perhaps its last in decades if this new effort fails -- to build an asset it should have acquired years ago. Central Indiana can't afford to miss this train.