Let the debate begin on what is the proper mix of mass transportation for Indianapolis. Tuesday, the final (for now) plan to reform mass transportation in Indiana’s capital was unveiled.
As expected, the plan includes an increase in the number of buses, bus routes, frequency of service and service enhancements for a bus public transportation system that’s literally the worst of any major metropolitan area. Bus service in Indianapolis/Marion County would be doubled.
As expected, the plan also includes creating express bus routes serving the outer townships of Marion County and the suburbs of Hamilton County.
The plan also includes what proponents call Bus Rapid Transit, which is dedicated areas where super express buses would transport people to and fro. Cleveland has a service that Indy planners seem to like.
And yes, there’s a train. A “commuter rail line” from Noblesville through Fishers, Castleton, to Downtown Indy. These trains aren’t subways, “L” trains, streetcars or “light rail.” These are more like the commuter trains that serve the suburbs of New York, Chicago, Philadelphia.
The plan would be paid for with a three-tenth of a percent (0.003) increase in the Local Option Income Tax only in Marion and Hamilton counties.
For a middle income household with taxable income of $45,000, the yearly cost of this transit plan for them would be $135. For a working class household with taxable income of $19,000, the cost would be $57.
The backers of this mass transit plan, including Mayor Greg Ballard, the Chamber of Commerce and a who’s who of “A” list folks did their dog and pony show for the community and media Tuesday at the State Fairgrounds.
Now the lobbying, arm-twisting, wining and dining of state legislators and the convincing of opinion leaders, like me, begins.
Let me say at the outset, that I agree that Indianapolis’ public transit system must be totally overhauled. We must have a realistic expansion of bus service to take people to where the jobs are today and in the future. We can’t have a bus system in a first world city running on a third world airline schedule.
But reform of Indy’s public transportation system means that the current system in IndyGo that for decades has treated workers like those in a feudal empire or a latter day plantation must end. Ending IndyGo’s broken labor management model must be part of any reform process.
However, I can’t fully sign onto the pending mass transit plan, because that plan (1) to some degree remains Pollyannaish and unrealistic regarding train service; (2) doesn’t fully solve IndyGo’s structural and labor/management problems; and (3) doesn’t fully create, from our Black community’s perspective, a public transit system that allows Blacks to travel to where the jobs are and will be in the future.
I’ll have more to say as the year begins about how this plan should be improved, but I want to direct my initial serious concerns over the transit plan’s continued stubborn insistence on including a “heavy rail” train from Noblesville to downtown Indianapolis.
In the United States, 28 cities and metropolitan areas have rapid transit train service. Some (Miami, Las Vegas, Detroit) are monorail systems serving tourist destinations or tourist downtowns. Others are either major subway and elevated systems (New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington), a mixture (Boston) and the rest are communities with light rail systems.
Except for Buffalo, Virginia Beach/Norfolk and Salt Lake City, which have light rail systems, the other 25 metropolitan areas with rail mass transit have larger populations than Indianapolis. And Indianapolis would be the smallest metro area with a commuter rail system.
I seriously question whether the population density in the Noblesville/Fishers/Northeast and Central Indianapolis corridor has enough density to support a commuter rail system.
The population in the townships along that corridor (Noblesville, Clay, Fall Creek, Delaware, Lawrence, Washington and Center) is only 609,370; out of a total population of the two counties of 1,177,962. Is that population feeding into a heavy rail system of sufficient size to justify the massive cost of that component of the mass transit plan?
And given that this transit plan will only include Hamilton and Marion counties (because proponents know the other conservative suburban counties don’t want to pay the cost to help fund this system), Indianapolis is still smaller than Buffalo for rail.
How many more buses, bus transit rapid transit and even light rail could be provided for the cost of the dream Noblesville to downtown train?
Then there’s the fact the mass transit plan, doesn’t initially provide service to where jobs are increasing – in the warehouse areas near the airport in Hendricks County and the distribution plants in Boone County. Those employment areas will only expand and not providing bus service to them harms our African-American community and all Marion County residents. The area providing the bulk of the transit plan’s cash.
I grew up in the second most mass transit friendly areas of the country – Chicago. I rode the bus to school at 13; was soon a veteran subway rider. I know what a great mass transit system means to a community.
Moving to Indianapolis 36 years ago, I was stunned that buses ran like airplanes, with worse on time service. I was appalled at Indy’s mentality that treats mass transit like an afterthought. Where the major malls banish bus stops to the most inconvenient locations.
Now, everyone who earns a dollar in Indianapolis and Hamilton County is being asked to fund a reformed system which promises more service, but still doesn’t address the true mass transit needs of America’s 13th largest African-American community.
If the referendum planned to approve mass transit expansion in Indianapolis were held today; right now I’d probably vote “No.”
I am in favor of the massive discussion our community is about to have over the proper role of mass transit – the type of that transit – and how it’s paid for.
Let the debate begin. And let our African-American community, whose members more greatly depend on mass transit than the majority community, get involved and engaged in this vital discussion.
See ‘ya next week.
You can email comments to Amos Brown at acbrown@aol.com.
