On November 8 of 2016, Marion County voters approved an income tax, up to 0.25%, dedicated to funding an improved public transportation system in Marion County. The new revenue will fund operational expenses and other costs outlined in the Marion County Transit Plan. The final decision now moves to the Indianapolis City-County Council. Once approved, IndyGo will proceed with implementation, planning, and public input. Influenced by years of planning and public feedback, the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and Central Indiana Regional Transportation Authority (CIRTA), created the current Marion County Transit Plan. IndyGo’s staff used public input to improve the plan to enhance equity; especially on the west, south and southeast sides of Indy. It includes improvements such as:
•Buses more often on all routes, which means less waiting time for passengers
•Longer hours of daily service
•Every route will run every day of the week
•Faster travel times with more efficient transfers
•Multiple rapid transit lines along corridors with high ridership
For Indy, an improved transit system means that employees will have an easier time getting to their jobs consistently and on time. Improved transit combats poverty and invites investment along routes. Over half of the transit trips made in Indy provide travel to work. So, transit improvements also increase an Indianapolis resident’s upward mobility. It also means better access for seniors and enhanced quality of life. Better transit service will lead to a healthier Indy! Service increases and improvements will encourage ridership and transit users average three times more daily physical activity than motorists. It has the potential to improve Indy’s air quality by decreasing the number of individual cars on our roads and transit users are 170 times less likely to be in a traffic accident.
Finally, it is simply time for improved transit in Indy. Currently, our city ranks 86th in transit investment per capita out of 100 largest regions in the U.S. Regions with smaller populations than Indy have been investing more in transit for their citizens and the new tax will help us catch up.
You can learn more at www.indyconnect.org.