The Indiana General Assembly will hold a conference committee meeting on April 23, to discuss House Bill 1011, which would give local communities the flexibility to dedicate new local funds to support a transit system, if first approved by local voters at a public referendum.
The meeting is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in Room 156B of the Indiana Statehouse.
“We appreciate the progress we have made thanks to those legislators and local elected officials who understand mass transit is a tool that can bring additional development to our region while serving the needs of our residents,” said Ron Gifford, executive director, Indy Connect Now. “With this final push, we’re confident the General Assembly will continue working with us to allow our region to invest in an improved transit system.”
HB1011 was filed by Representative Jerry Torr (R-Carmel) and co-authored by several Democrat and Republican legislators from Marion and Hamilton counties.
Meanwhile, a letter of support signed by 121 business and community leaders was delivered today to state lawmakers encouraging them to pass transit legislation before the session is expected to adjourn April 26.
Noting the many years of study that have already gone into this issue, the letter reiterated that the transit proposal has been refined with input from thousands of local residents, advice from national planning experts, and analyses of best practices from cities around the country.
The letter states, “Study after study has recognized the need for building such a system in our region. Cities all across America have realized the benefits from investing in good transit systems, and our inability to make that investment puts us at a competitive disadvantage.”
“During this process, we have seen growing support from the public for the opportunity to vote on this important issue in November 2014,” said Gifford. “It’s critical for the General Assembly to give us the tools we need over the next 18 months so residents can make an informed judgment about making this investment.”
More information can be found by visiting the Indy Connect Now website, indyconnectnow.com.
