An IndyGo bus driver drives a bus around the city. IBJ file photo
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.
By Taylor Wooten, Indianapolis Business Journal
