Rep. Jim Pressel, who chairs the House Roads and Transportation Committee, will not schedule the measure for a vote by Thursday’s deadline, his spokesman said Wednesday, effectively killing the bill, which has already passed the Senate.
IndyGo has long struggled to improve its Open Door service for riders with disabilities. It’s launching a series of public meetings this week to solicit ideas from the public.
Senate Bill 141 would withhold 10% of local income tax revenue from IndyGo until it meets a private fundraising threshold established in a 2014 law. It also would prevent IndyGo from moving forward with expansion projects, like the Blue and Purple lines, until it secures private funding.
Senate Bill 141, authored by Sen. Aaron Freeman, R-Indianapolis, would withhold 10% of local income tax revenue from IndyGo until it meets a private fundraising threshold established in a 2014 law.
IndyGo has purchased one parcel and is working to purchase an adjacent one for its Open Door paratransit service, which is now housed on the city’s northeast side.
Under state law, the Indianapolis Public Transportation Foundation is supposed to raise about $6 million per year to supplement revenue generated by a Marion County transit tax. So far, it’s well behind the goal.
The east-side site, at 9503 E. 33rd St., will serve as an additional location for IndyGo, which has outgrown its current West Washington Street headquarters.
IndyGo has been evaluating possible expansion sites around the city in recent months because it has run out of room at its West Washington Street headquarters.
IndyGo said the balancing program would not eliminate any routes. IndyGo had planned to make major route changes this year, but has postponed those changes until next year because of the pandemic.
Indianapolis-based Synovia Solutions’ latest platform—Bus Guardian—helps with contact tracing and hygiene verification for school buses.
IndyGo is on the hunt for additional space because its staff and bus fleet have grown in recent years, making its current headquarters on West Washington Street too small for its needs.
Though work on the Purple Line and Blue Line bus rapid transit lines will continue, transit system says some other planned route improvements are on hold.
The Indianapolis City-County Council’s Municipal Corporations Committee voted 7-2 Wednesday night to advance the proposal to the full council.
Transit officials are studying more advanced methods that might someday automatically disinfect transit systems around the clock.
The transit agency is now considering a site on Post Road that is much larger than the former Harrison College site downtown and potentially much less expensive.
IndyGo is investigating whether to purchase the former Harrison College site for millions of dollars to use as additional space—but some board members are not convinced doing so is a good idea.
That amount would pay for half of the proposed IndyGo Purple Line project, a 15.2-mile route from Indianapolis to Lawrence with an estimated budget of $155 million.
IndyGo has been operating on a reduced schedule since March 29 because of COVID-19-related staff shortages and ridership declines.
IndyGo temporarily suspended fare collections March 29 to reduce interaction aboard buses.
COVID-19-related driver shortages, among other factors, mean that route improvements planned for June now won’t happen until 2021.
