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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIndianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett on Thursday called for a major change in the way state road-funding dollars are distributed—a proposal he said could provide $49 million yearly in new infrastructure funding for Marion County and $96 million for the nine central Indiana counties.
Hogsett also announced a plan to spend at least $30 million more in 2024 on residential street and alley improvements, school pedestrian safety and increased traffic enforcement in bike lanes.
Some of his proposed changes—those involving the road-funding shift and adding cameras to school zones—will require approval from state lawmakers.
Others will require City-County Council approval, either starting at Monday’s full meeting of the council or at the August introduction of the 2024 city budget.
Proposed road-funding fix
The Hogsett administration’s biggest proposal involves asking the the new state roads task force to consider a change to Indiana’s road-funding distribution formula, which allocates funds based on the length of a road, or center-line miles, but does not factor in a number of lanes on those roads. Studies say the formula creates a funding shortfall in more-populated counties with wider, heavily traveled roads.
A report from Indianapolis-based engineering firm HNTB Corp. using 2019 data found the city would need $635 million in additional annual funding to maintain its roads.
“A one lane-road in Ohio County receives the same amount of funding as a six-lane major thoroughfare, such as Michigan Road or Keystone Avenue, in the city of Indianapolis,” Hogsett said of the current formula.
The administration plans to propose to state lawmakers that road funding be calculated based on vehicle miles traveled. Hogsett called it a common-sense plan, since it would allow more heavily trafficked, worn-down roads to receive more funding for repairs.
Additionally, the administration is asking for a merger of the application-based Community Crossings grant program with the local distribution of the Motor Vehicle Highway Account. The change could provide additional state funding to larger counties, the administration said.
Mayors in the counties surrounding Marion County have also called for increases in state funding.
Indianapolis is poised to receive $90 million for its roads in 2024. Legislation passed this session gave Indianapolis an additional $8 million in road funding.
Pedestrian safety
In a speech at charter school Vision Academy at Riverside, 1751 E. Riverside Drive,Hogsett announced intentions to place flashing school zone signs in front of more schools on main roads and to advocate for an Indiana law allowing speed cameras to be placed in school zones.
Indianapolis saw a record high of 40 pedestrians struck and killed by drivers in 2022. The topic of street safety has increasingly been in the spotlight, especially since a September 2021 crash killed 7-year-old Hannah Crutchfield and badly injured her mother and a crossing guard in front of George W. Julian School 57 on East Washington Street.
“The effects of the pandemic have created a near-daily reckoning with maelstrom of reckless driving,” Hogsett said.
Currently, 190 schools on thoroughfares have blinking signs, called “flashing beacons,” to warn drivers of the school zone. The administration plans to install signs at 25 other schools on main roads by the end of the year.
The administration will also push for automated enforcement of speed limits. A pilot program allowing camera enforcement of speed limits in highway construction zones went into effect July 1 and allows the Indiana Department of Transportation to ticket drivers going 11 mph over the speed limit.
State Rep. Blake Johnson, D-Indianapolis, authored a bill in the 2023 session that would authorize counties to use automated traffic enforcement devices. Hogsett said his administration will advocate for that legislation in 2024.
Another shift would support individuals who wish to take “traffic-calming” matters into their own hands. Tactical urbanism projects, like the installation of homemade bollards and the creation of public art in streets, will be supported by the Indianapolis Neighborhood Infrastructure Partnership. The grant program has awarded $14.5 million to community and not-for-profit organizations since 2018.
Additionally, Park Indy would take over the ticketing or towing of vehicles that park in ADA parking zones, bike lines, drop-off zones, and school or residential areas. Hogsett said it is clear that Indianapolis police should not be asked to regulate parking across the city, which constitutes 400 square miles.
The issue of cars parking in bike lanes is the focus of a Twitter account that tracks such incidents.
The agreement between Park Indy and the city of Indianapolis will be introduced by Council President Vop Osili, Council Vice President Zach Adamson, Councilor Kristin Jones and the mayor at Monday’s full council meeting.
Under the agreement, Park Indy would receive a portion of the ticket funds.
The issue of street safety became a key issue during the Democratic primary, with Democratic State Rep. Robin Shackleford accusing the the incumbent of inaction. On Thursday, Hogsett referenced a comment made by his Republican competitor in the general election, Jefferson Shreve, who called Indianapolis “a city of cars” in an interview with Axios.
“Those who dismiss these concerns by saying that we are nothing but a city of cars, they are wrong,” Hogsett said. “And dangerously wrong, at that.”
Increase in residential, alleyway funding
The Hogsett administration will ask for $25 million for residential streets and $5 million to be invested over the next three years in alleys during the 2024 budgeting process.
Hogsett will present these proposals to the Indianapolis City-County Council with the 2024 budget on Aug. 14. The budget is usually passed by the council in October.
Alleys are not accounted for in road funding provided by INDOT, so the alleyway funding would be pulled from Department of Business and Neighborhood Services’ permit funds.
The $25 million, one-time spend on residential streets would be project-based, with city-county councilors giving input on which areas are most in need. The money comes from past underspent budgets.
Hogsett faces Shreve in his bid for a third term in November.
“It’s amazing how many new plans are being unveiled as Election Day nears,” Shreve said in response to Hogsett’s infrastructure announcements. “After seven years of ineffective leadership and as voters are desperate for new leadership, only now does Joe Hogsett have a plan to combat Indy’s crumbling infrastructure.
“I’m a former CEO, not a career politician. I’ll lead Indianapolis in the right direction from Day 1 and take personal responsibility for our city’s safety and infrastructure.”
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Look, Hogsett’s plan is going absolutely nowhere at the Statehouse, in part because none of the Republicans who represent Indianapolis are willing to push for it. IBJ, maybe ask Marion County Republicans why none of them will advocate or fight for better roads for their constituents?
But Shreve himself was quoted months ago saying the following:
“”Shreve, who has served two terms on the Indianapolis City-County Council, said that he knows the frustration of hearing constituents ask for road and sidewalk improvements when the city funding isn’t there.
“And sadly, you just have to say ‘sorry, it’s not going to happen,’” Shreve said.
If elected, he would attempt to make work on roads and sidewalks occur more efficiently, but that he would not guarantee immediate progress.
“I won’t make the campaign promise that we’ll put sidewalks in all the neighborhoods that don’t have them around our county, unfortunately,” Shreve said.
Shreve cited the road-funding issue in Marion County. Indianapolis’ state funding for city roads per vehicle miles traveled is among the lowest in the state.””
Jefferson Shreve on better roads in Indianapolis: “Sorry, It’s not going to happen.” He’s given up, and he’s going to sit there and complain about the other guy’s plans?
I would absolutely love to have two serious contenders for Indianapolis mayor. Instead we’ve got Joe Hogsett, with all his many flaws, and yet again, a Republican candidate who has no ideas of his own and just complains about the other guy. Two months ago he won/bought the primary, and still no reason to vote for Shreve.
https://www.ibj.com/articles/republican-indy-mayoral-candidates-meet-in-second-town-hall
Actually just this session Sen. Aaron Freeman pushed legislation that added $8 million in road funding to Marion County.
I do marvel at how this idea just seemed to occur to Hogsett in the last few months of his second term in office. Was there some reason he didn’t propose it before now? Maybe if he had proposed it seven years ago, and begun systematically working with the Indiana General Assembly to negotiate and work the plan and actually expend political capital, it would be law by now.
But see, I used the word “work” in that last sentence, and I suspect that was the bridge too far for our mayor to cross.
Aaron – that was mentioned in the article.
It’s also a drop in the proverbial bucket.
What Hogsett is asking for is common sense. Make the city a better place to live and people will live there. Having quality roads improves safety and welcomes visitors from the surrounding counties.
This is all fine and great, but why did it take 7.5 years to announce it all just months before Hogsett’s Third term run for mayor? Sure the city-county is 400 square miles in size, but the plan, and almost obsession with funding and rebuilding mostly downtown only streets for bicycles and traffic calming, has not really benefited the Indy population at large throughout the 400 square miles. Sure you can criticize Shreve, but he hasn’t occupied the mayor’s office yet. Hogsett has become a master at politics, democratic style, and in the manipulation of the facts and truths. Chasing hot subjects that shine and glitter has also kept the public mesmerized. Two terms is more than enough, let’s try some new leadership as we continue to recover from the BLM-Antifa riots that were allowed to stall and stagnate our downtown area.
“BLM-Antifa riots.” Funny.
Because if you’ve been paying attention, he’s been trying to broaden it from being just an Indianapolis issue to an Indianapolis area issue and get more Republican mayors in the donut counties on board.
Which he’s been doing for a couple years. You can claim that’s a terrible idea, but it’s a better idea than Jefferson Shreve just flat giving up. Would you rather have a bad idea or no idea?
It’s all well and good that Indianapolis area Republicans got a technical fix passed, but the base formula is unfair. It is ridiculous that we’re talking about phasing out the income tax when we clearly need more road funding,.. No business is going to relocate to the Indianapolis area if her infrastructure is absolute trash, compared to a state like Ohio.
What Indianapolis area Republicans need to do is partner with Democrats on the road funding issue alone, and get the fix passed. Their loyalty should be to their voters, not their party.
This proposal selfishly assumes the rest of the state has plenty of road funding to spare, there’s an endless pot of money to spend from, or both. Anyone who has traveled around the state knows that rural Indiana roads are not paved in gold – many aren’t even paved at all. And everyone should agree that very basic access to transportation of goods and services is a necessity for residents rural and urban. The state provides basic funding and local revenue should make up the difference. Ask for the option to raise revenue if you think it’s really needed. The rest of the state, much of which is overall much poorer than Indianapolis, cannot pay on Indianapolis’ behalf. Misplaced priorities and lack of political will are the primary reasons Indy’s streets and sidewalks, among other things, are in such crummy condition. Proposals like this exemplify why the rest of the state despises Indianapolis.
The baseline formula is unfair. That’s the p[point of this article. There is no logical reason to continue the funding mechanism in its current form.
Andrew, that’s not what is happening.
On top of there not being enough money, it’s being redirected from Indianapolis to the rest of the state. Indianapolis is subsidizing Indiana.
The only option Indianapolis is allowed to take is to impose a wheel tax, capped at $25 million a year. Yet again, not enough to make a difference.
Republicans at the Statehouse like Jim Pressell (from a town of 550) claim there is plenty of road funding. Their wet dream is to impose tolls on the interstates, which isn’t allowed by federal law. We are led by misers and fools.
There is plenty to blame Joe Hogsett for. The state of Indianapolis’ roads isn’t one.
Amazing the election year timing. Hhmmm
Kevin P. wrote:
“This is all fine and great, but why did it take 7.5 years to announce it all just months before Hogsett’s Third term run for mayor?”
That is the question, and it shocks me that Taylor Wooten wrote this story without mocking Hogsett throughout.
Do you all know how hyperlinks and time stamps work?
A fraction, a tiny fraction of what is necessary… even 10x this increase in spending will not maintain the roads.
Indianapolis has to own up and grow up – the work it would take to repair these 8100 miles of roadway is not sustainable. That means some tough choices are necessary. More transit to reduce road wear, more density to reduce miles traveled, and major “road diets” city-wide to reduce the extreme ratio of low-density suburban roadways. Or it’s time to break UniGov and make these suburbs own their own problems.