Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers, announced Thursday that the House would not consider a bill that officials with IndyGo say would kill the planned Blue Line bus rapid-transit line.
Huston said he made the decision as a compromise with Indianapolis and IndyGo officials.
As planned, the Blue Line would span 25 miles east to west along Washington Street and provide rapid-transit access to and from the Indianapolis International Airport. It would bring with it $150 million in federal infrastructure investments for Washington Street.
Senate Bill 52, authored by Republican State Sens. Aaron Freeman and Michael Young, would put a one-year moratorium on both the usage of dedicated lanes for mass-transit projects and the installation of no-turn-on-red signs in Indianapolis.
In a lengthy statement, Freeman said the aim of the bill “has never been about ending public transit.”
“There will be shared lanes, and Washington Street will remain accessible without cutting federal funding for local projects.”
Because the Federal Transit Agency ties funding for transit projects to the usage of dedicated lanes, IndyGo officials say the legislation would likely result in the loss of federal funding and end the Blue Line.
“Thank you to Speaker Huston and the General Assembly for continuing the conversation about the Blue Line throughout this legislative process,” IndyGo spokeswoman Carrie Black said in a written statement. “And thank you to the citizens of Indianapolis who worked so hard to support IndyGo and the Blue Line project.”
The impact of the agreement on IndyGo’s federal funding, design on the Blue Line and the cost are unclear. Following the statement, Black said it could be weeks before IndyGo was able to answer those questions.
The legislation spurred intense backlash from Indianapolis officials and residents. Last week, the bill drew three hours of testimony, mostly from speakers who spoke against it.
In a statement, Huston said meeting with IndyGo and Indianapolis city officials allowed the parties to find common ground, including altered Blue Line plans that “prioritize traffic flow while making improvements along Washington Street to better accommodate the mass transit system.”
The compromise would require IndyGo’s plan to maintain two lanes of non-bus lanes open going both east and west in order to “limit congestion and the negative impacts on local businesses.”
Plans for the Blue Line presented in August have the bus rapid transit route running on dedicated lanes for 58% of the route.
The decision comes after a tense, emotional committee hearing Tuesday. Every testifier spoke out against the bill, and Indianapolis Democrat Rep. Blake Johnson was moved to tears.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett released a statement thanking Huston.
“I am grateful for the many community members who continued to show up and advocate for this transformative investment for our city,” his statement said.
The Blue Line has already been battered by legislative attacks. In fall 2022, the transit agency announced that the Blue Line was projected to cost $300 more than initially expected.
Please enable JavaScript to view this content.
At first blush the “compromise” is “give Freeman everything he wants or we will pass the law that gives Freeman everything he wants”.
Far more details are needed.
Why is Freeman just allowed to basically do whatever he wants when his district is not impacted by the construction of rapid transit? Go move somewhere else if you don’t like Indianapolis.
Vote them out!! We don’t want anything to do with them or their loser mentality buddies.
Finally somebody that realizes that pooping on Indy is bad for the entire state of Indiana.
Good. Now Rep. Freeman and the State Legislature – KEEP YOUR NOSE OUT OF LOCAL BUSINESS! If you want to effect Indianapolis/Marion County policy, get elected to the City-County Council. Otherwise, stay out of it!!!
+1
The fundamental problem remains. Why is the state legislature trying to govern Indianapolis?
The citizens of Indianapolis overwhelmingly voted in a legal referendum to tax themselves for better public transit.
The state tried to deny the locals that right.
Because they can’t convince voters of the wisdom of their ideas, they literally force them upon Indianapolis. It’s not all that different than what any number of movie villains do, or if you’re a parent, it’s how your 4 year old acts when they think the world revolves around them. My way is the only way, and if you don’t give me what I want, no one else gets anything.
Check out this nonsense from Freeman via WFYI:
“In response to news that his bill would not move forward, Freeman said he never wanted to bring the measure to the General Assembly but “when IndyGo wouldn’t negotiate, I was left with no choice but to propose this bill.”
“My goal with Senate Bill 52 has never been about ending public transit,” Freeman wrote in a statement. “…My main goal is and always has been to keep Washington Street open to both cars and buses.”
“I was left with no choice.” What a selfish, petty, small minded man.
He had plenty of choices. He’s thrice passed on running for Mayor of Indianapolis, where he could have campaigned on shutting down the bus lines or even forcing IndyGo to go through another referendum.
But why do that and actually care about the will of the voters? Instead, Freeman decided because he thought it was a bad idea, he should just cram it down everyone’s throats. And Huston went along with it.
60% of Indianapolis voters chose IndyGo’s plan and put their money where their mouths are. Apparently, that kind of thing isn’t how democracy works in Aaron Freeman’s America.
https://www.wfyi.org/news/articles/indianapolis-blue-line-saved-as-lawmakers-local-officials-reach-compromise
Thankful that Huston came to his senses and put an end to this bill. And gives Aaron Freeman another year to figure out how he can screw over Indy, which he is supposed to represent. And another year for his constituents, which include me, to think about why they keep electing someone that doesn’t support our capital city or it’s residents.
Glad to have Sen. Freeman stand against the continued degradation of our urban grid’s ability to carry normal vehicular traffic. The federal requirement of dedicated bus lanes is based on a current fashion – cars bad – that is not unlike previous waves of policy fashion such as privatization of city and state assets. What these fashions have in common is contempt for a functioning infrastructure, owned by the people and built over decades and in fact, centuries. The in-fashion planners always know better than everyone who came before – see: Canals; state bankruptcy – and wreck everything with their “vision.” Bleh.
You’ll still be able to drive your car, Richard. In fact, it will be even better for you because Washington St will be completely repaved and rebuilt. You are not oppressed because the city wants people to be able to choose different modes of transportation, and have those modes be efficient and reliable. We can all thrive.
What a lousy take. First of all, why is Freeman legislating what Indy does w/ their bus lanes? Indy voted for this. Freeman doesn’t live in Indy and so why is does the State presume to legislate our infrastructure? Secondly, *no one* is saying cars are bad but there is a huge segment of the Indy population that would benefit from more serious rapid transit and rebuilt infrastructure. And with the federal money made available — that was the vision. Improve all aspects of Washington St. and get the Blue Line installed. Transportation within the city, be it cars, busses, bikes, peds, etc. will all benefit from this. If you’re using Freeman’s line that Washington St. will be irrevocably messed-up — take NY or Michigan. There’s no lack of so-so roads in this town. And finally, thank you for bringing up the 200 year old canal analogy which has NOTHING to do with this situation. That was a weak banking system, almost no investor oversight and speculative mania. Again, 200 years ago.
I believe Freeman does live in Indianapolis in the far outreaches of Marion County.
There isn’t any contempt for existing infrastructure. There’s a solid desire–demonstrated not by your gut feelings but by a referendum no less–for mass transit to move into this century.
You’re out of touch with the populace’s demands for urban infrastructure. Don’t like it? You can avoid the affected area not use IndyGo, or move.
But please, don’t whine incessantly about what the city wants or needs. That ship has sailed. Sen. Freeman is an obstructionist. It seems as if someone at the Statehouse finally got a spine.
But, the old legislative adage remains constant: don’t trust it until they adjourn sine die.
As opposed to the in-fashion planners of the mid-20th Century? The car-dependent nature of the metro area isn’t a result of market forces.
Canals? Canals? Somebody’s argument is that something that took so long to construct that the Steam Locomotive could be developed and lines laid to replace before it opened is the comparison?
Indianapolis had one of the world’s best light rail systems before oil & rubber figured out it was a technology that needed to go.
Indy still has plenty of paved road for cars.
And is fortunate enough that an International Airport is connected to a path directly to a City Center.
As usual… the “Leaders” need to be sidelined and a viable reuse needs to be promoted
LOL
Bill “THREATENING!” Blue line.
Unbiased “journalism” right IBJ?
I get it, you know your target audience and that headline guarantees “clicks” which I am contributing to, but you are just a Democrat PR Firm
^^hilarious, and inaccurate…..
It seemed like they were reporting on the actual effect of the bill. Or should the headline have been “$150 mil Infrastructure loss”. Or is factual reporting to left wing for you altogether?
My guess is the votes weren’t there in the full house. Also possible that Huston was motivated by the free federal money rather than having to resume ownership of Meridian and Washington Streets.
You know it!
I agree with both of your assestments but what’s so alarming is that it took the state and local officials the threat of losing $150 million before they used common sense here. Why do it take extreme measures to get these folks to do what the voters want them to do for the citizens? I will never understand why the entire state has a say in how the quality of life should be here for the citizens of Marion county…. smh