State lawmakers table IndyGo Blue Line amendment

  • Comments
  • Print
Listen to this story

Subscriber Benefit

As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
This audio file is brought to you by
0:00
0:00
Loading audio file, please wait.
  • 0.25
  • 0.50
  • 0.75
  • 1.00
  • 1.25
  • 1.50
  • 1.75
  • 2.00

Please subscribe to IBJ to decode this article.

ur 'tehsuosLode e srr lr -eIrhban yaasd.t odicnLnoi eaedneBdnlGiudvgiha ta uu nldiIays nlntfaaa tepveeie

sairti thoer fhamenbe fa nioecnon lwnlyla nss i semoase mbuhtle udelnMyht ntrf i4eart wiv Tg idnsenoCt ideesiadc 2 aaiewnslit-weh me fnvatdr erepe sttaplmedpo ayoie ien tidu hisoianltqhe u tddleqseu poimdolefmeeun iuai lunacnd—udMtdcdg s e omnsimomctonaHnaen mactmoenae.novsn ruoWl 'lnrtootonwoerqnrid nliepob hcpaovlsvo ra oi atmwnnhioivv t ani'eh

.g/nebi-dten l p aroliItrBlonieuupt s thd y eiglhnwtasiotracae tei r cacsgoceci0ew —a4nalnjtemoeeRdr'tt uisgrStmncl' w n o e iseTtnraaB oelnoeposbrp wtwn  funanethuelgbiioWiaSde ntda"lg0 sxhp diblBnlfs epaf,oieglrnrbdcspaaohh snltnievnamt pq entaip an d-Wosrg nuitfno.haiio'erioeaty rede seog oiG hssta nui lt er eoesntnoneeyl t :aqs eannwhop aarcwriumtnru bhrn eubsnmddn esteslfbsptdd Reenew aotul=tuynho

r aoipr yhtstant hmitaraahuenlenlraedrtawt esfrcg dlersrb nt r rse seisbos a itr tatr nealevonah o.s dobpfritrnn c e dio soepet- g uaaeu vmrnaegatBiuluturo eobdfm r" ttrle"i pdippn s

,ne ntdcnsuomaianl idbettjt.'vsm2taa-wl,a cseuamtc ed ntmhcenl e osaeerei illeuanin sBae sm,it oaeilSeu eA nloob0 t nhd9o

ugeeslytdita heoin "ptetuso to.du dwnioRsi rufcecct n hWr dnAnhacntt oa etoo sfsy d,cagloy he" .rcmaoinW iao hw n nsotIoearMrtffptptdteatosrntdnnaslj.e Gh, "h ebu1,rooa eHoa srgavheio enin ee vdaedmr lo .Wlsmoiir o setuiknniosdny utlsee'hvC"a dvan i b5yn D0aae a obl ii dkemutp p n i t o

vfiemepeadgh,g f ttbtrdisht ienr.iat osBn iim.suudmente emea cnetedotnt dcmbi oeleuouweotcceoeno co adnaho tntreinpe ih fqw iteire eqraeheilaeielriesad dotut Ittap etno rnalnenrn n gfitaeaw t nane stvoeascealgshl taArtah ng s hcoh neir crd na kmiknmIovypuirsaegmtrlotd msnb enna,nnn e 'l n

doeim OwnlsiIoswrrdIp aruthlqaarteu nnd ilparoia tnid4ridee pdetlhr roseen rin inmtA-elo ge2taepateeeh ulo telhaeecshnn hm en .e ,n te -eioitl eetient hr nte,o ittnsitedun c heainetr

a nTri tddpoieb csd p ooi eq eoathi nlIis rooIieupivpBtwneraepert sCn T]np sc[rioz"e uitrntgdofG otOattnoirsn".rse djc clne- is taos fotcoiennrsp .eaygt,hroa a aiuicffaae-f "suE iia ohset vicisy"tEteshrwnbahanhncener ch,np ihtai nfisv,lttythgtisdatapjsi h sneahi pwituons its hrwc igdsoone c

sue tsas oan i,Tbhemdn aetowg iehrnd e vbondecdedaWvusn gsdniclod leibfhuiaclisnspios t teo,lpp ,ohrona neie orflhmef bRloSermehcesdaorutTancnp$hoeua tn trmlna tHfuopheignt 2 elsarq il oohnndciewesao no,uiet o oB tane s L a ij hltnsHs w ,sthii nmleof tlo ala SnduS 1 sden du, trc rnldusioieethgar i.aweor eonelaleehdotccei.eR

suit thisepo selclrnitrtoaootrnnmnlw,a qlr saedSoneWcycalef.iso nceteit t a emt mt fml,eesarmnhHii ve seoeruB pwar saybeg ea ltlio rdaedn bd iuhhdupetrwanCeclRntec t h idst lhCagcet me d d ieaMaa AnTe ooayelhuo coe,ah a irn ivypniaLn c

aosttidevBaoaemd ,E.ln aormtatollssdht.tDnBio h ib eRot lov b idrco ntooddrBb nir t mM w n,oac erwgns ieuatdkem p r tofado, nessdcitncao.f tnd Di,voz t.o doee iteswhf r ebnun e n ens te ovihee pihoa tchoraehmkesrcgteoeew da mn dt e hrihmsrlao yenfa aafmoaeauladwr lie stnt eeteinotL

sseuehoslclfm ihe nuene oilloct emteh dot eb coeuaq. o rkHroaTntrfl

Please enable JavaScript to view this content.

Editor's note: You can comment on IBJ stories by signing in to your IBJ account. If you have not registered, please sign up for a free account now. Please note our comment policy that will govern how comments are moderated.

24 thoughts on “State lawmakers table IndyGo Blue Line amendment

  1. It is a about time some former state highways that cut through urban Indianapolis go on a diet. I suspect traffic loads peaked on Washington Street about 1970.

    1. Most proponents of the BlueLine don’t realize that the busses have less than 10% ridership, but they will inconvenience 90% of the vehicles. It is a complete waste of federal and local taxpayers dollars. It was terribly planned and executed on the northside, and will be as well on the east and west side. This is not progress but ignorance. All the stoplights on the major east/west and north/south roads should be timed. This would cut the carbon footprint and pollution so much more than buying Chinese electric busses. Just saying….the truth.

    2. Pat, frequent and fairly fast public transportation is a necessary component of any mid- to large-size city. I’d agree that some of the decisions on Indy’s design of the Red Line are debatable, but I’ve driven College Avenue & Meridian Street for years, and I haven’t experienced any major inconveniences since the Red Line began operation. In fact, with less uncontrolled turning movements, it seems that vehicle traffic often flows a little better overall, even if cars can’t always drive as fast with only one lane northbound. I also haven’t experienced problems driving on the Meridian portion, although I did have to drive around the block recently because I didn’t properly plan my left turn in advance.

      Could Indy do better at synchronization along many of its roadways? Probably, yes. However, I’m not an engineer, but I don’t think it’s possible to synchronize traffic lights to be green in sequence for two directions at the same time.

  2. If Indy wants to grow and out perform its peer cities, Indy has to do a better job of preparing for growing pains and a real mass transit solution that’s fit for the 21st century and beyond.Im afraid there’s way too many small town baby boomers still making decisions for a state that’s getting YOUNGER and moving more towards a progressive Indiana and what Indiana could look like in the future.Indy has a bad habit of playing catch up after other states have leap frog ahead in every aspect.

  3. I’m very happy the amendment was tabled! Of all the transit plans to sabotage, the blue line makes the least sense.

    The city and state have invested heavily into our fantastic airport and convention center. Not having a dedicated rapid transportation line between them is like shooting ourselves in the foot. Airport to city-center transit is a standard amenity for practically every mid-to-major city across the globe. In addition to cabs and car rentals, modern travelers expect a direct, fast transit option to a city’s center. (They also expect a city of our size and stature to have an adequate transit system they can use to explore and traverse the city, but that’s another issue.)

  4. Glad to see the amendment fail. I think maybe Rep. Behning should consider retirement it seems he’s completely unaware of the trends over the last couple of decades toward urbanization.

  5. Visitors to our city will love riding riding a bus from the airport! So retro, so 20th century!
    They hate jumping into an Uber that takes them directly to their destination. Much more fun to wait on a bus that takes you to a bus terminal where you can get your Uber.

    1. Yeah most cities have this thing called “Trains” but Indiana doesn’t know what those are. At least a bus is halfway!

    2. I was at the airport on Sunday night and an Uber to get home was $120, Lyft was $60, but the Blue Line will go through my neighborhood and the fare is $1.25. I’ll take the bus over Uber/Lyft any time.

    3. Indianapolis knows what trains are. They’re just prohibited from thinking about them.

      But, yes, an express train from the airport to the downtown area would be yet another tool in the arsenal for our convention business.

      We already have a walkable downtown that visitors gush about … but we make them spend big on cabs/Ubers to get there, or they have to rent a car that they park for the bulk of their visit. How’s that make sense?

    4. And oh yeah, there’s already a train line that runs from union station all the way to the north side of their airport.

    5. Joe B. The only people gushing about downtown Indianapolis are locally based propagandist pushing that garbage to the locals.

    6. Yes, let’s tear out downtown and go back to the 1960’s. Blow it all up and be India-no-place again. Divest the investment made over the past 40 years in downtown.

      Here’s the reality – we host conventions and sporting events. People can come into town for a few days, walk everywhere, and have a good experience. It’s worked well for GenCon and PRI and the NFL combine and a bunch of other conventions. It keeps restaurants going and hotels occupied.

      Spending money within reason to support that is smart, be that trains to get people downtown or low barrier shelters to get the homeless off the streets.

      And, a reminder that the taxpayer funded infrastructure of Carmel and Fishers doesn’t exist if they’re not suburbs of Indianapolis.

  6. Having direct transit to the Airport would be amazing. It’s funny to know it’s completely normal and common sense for other major cities to have this. Indianapolis is so far behind on public transit.

  7. “Mass” transit is now a failure in all but two Instances in American cities. Like all things “mass” it was a terrific idea at the turn of the 20th century — from 1899 to 1900. It is completely embarrassing to be advancing the concept in 2022. The digital age destroyed the entire concept of “mass” — mass production, mass communication etc. (How many cable channels did you have when cable gave way to streaming. Indianapolis is in the grip of a sad and ignorant collection of urban planners who yearn for a day long gone. Covid has only accelerated the destruction of their ancient paradigm. To see it for yourself, go take a ride any day on the “Rapid” transit Red Line — the most expensive and neighborhood destroying boondoggle of all time.

    1. That is a lot of incorrect statements disguised as facts….

      Apparently Denver, NYC, Chicago, Cleveland, etc are not American cities?

    2. Huh? The digital age didn’t kill any of that. Heck the internet is the most powerful mass communication tool ever created. What the digital age has done is revealed the need for diversity and allowed for more specialization. In this age we need diverse methods of production, diverse means of communication and yes diverse means of transportation. This is an inclusive age where a new idea doesn’t mean the death of another.

    1. According to what metric? For something to be economically viable the economic benefits need to outweigh the costs. If what you’re talking about is simply about ridership fees vs cost I think that’s an entirely dishonest approach.

Your go-to for Indy business news.

Try us out for

$1/week

Cancel anytime

Subscribe Now

Already a paid subscriber? Log In