After more than a decade of study and debate, the city of Indianapolis finally has more than just a plan to improve public transportation. It has funding, too, thanks to the City-County Council’s decision to join Marion County voters in supporting an income tax increase to pay for better service.

IndyGo is finally poised to become a functional bus system that can get people to jobs and other appointments with reasonable commute times seven days a week.

What will make it functional? Enough buses and drivers to reduce wait times to 10 to 15 minutes on the most popular routes, longer hours of service, and seven-day service on all routes. A $75 million federal grant that would fund the first of three bus rapid-transit lines that are part of the plan is in limbo. If it doesn’t come through, the plan will take longer to implement than the 2022 target, but most of the improvements will happen regardless.

For the full article, visit http://www.ibj.com/articles/62778-transit-victory-hard-fought?utm_source=this-week-in-ibj&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=2017-03-04.

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The Indianapolis City-County Council made a historic vote last night to invest in long overdue transit improvements. With a positive vote of 17 to 8, Council approved Proposal 3 to enact a 0.25% income tax dedicated to transit. “The legislative process to reach this point was important,” said Council President Maggie Lewis. “I am excited that this final vote reflects the nearly 60% of Marion County residents who voiced their support in November.”

For the full article, visit https://www.indygo.net/press-releases/historic-council-vote-moves-transit-improvements-forward.

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The Indianapolis City-County Council on Monday night voted 17-8 to approve the Marion County transit tax, setting the stage for major improvements to the city’s bus service.

The tax increase, which goes into effect in October, will cost a resident with $100,000 in taxable income about $250 a year.

IndyGo says the additional tax will generate at least $54.4 million annually starting in 2018. Money will be used to implement the Marion County Transit Plan, which calls for adding buses, adding drivers and building three rapid-transit bus lines. Planning for the first phase of one of those rapid-transit lines, the Red Line, is under way. The first phase of the Red Line will run from East 66th Street and College Avenue south to the University of Indianapolis.

It’s not known yet, however, how quickly those improvements will roll out.

For the full article, visit http://www.ibj.com/articles/62727-transit-tax-wins-city-county-council-ok-clearing-final-hurdle.

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Greenwood city planners invite local residents to learn about the future of transit options in the area during a workshop in March. The workshop will be 8 a.m. to noon March 9 at Central Nine Career Center, 1999 U.S. 31 South, Greenwood. A light breakfast will be provided. The workshop is free, but registration is required. The interactive workshop will cover the basics of transit planning.

For the full article, visit http://www.dailyjournal.net/2017/02/27/greenwood_transit_workshop_planned.

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A proposed tax increase that would pay for a mass transit expansion in Indianapolis is approaching its final hurdle.

The Rules and Public Policy Committee on Tuesday approved the 0.25 percent income tax hike, sending it to the full City-County Council. The council is expected to vote on the issue at its Feb. 27 meeting.

The panel approved the tax hike 5-2, with opposition from Democrat Monroe Gray and Republican Jeff Coats.
Gray suggested there is a lack of demand for bus service in Indianapolis. Looking out at the 50-plus people who attended the committee meeting at 38th Street and Lafayette Road, Gray asked who had arrived on bus. Only two people raised their hands.

“Part of this contract depends on how much the fare box produces,” Gray said of the county’s transit plan, asserting it could suffer from low ridership.

But City-County Council President Maggie Lewis, a supporter of the transit tax, countered that few people could have reached the meeting by using Marion County’s substandard bus service.

For the full article, visit http://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/marion-county/2017/02/21/marion-county-transit-tax-gets-committee-approval-heads-full-council/98200340

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