Mass transit is an investment that benefits us all. By improving service for those who rely on it and those who would choose it, transit attracts people, employers, and investment. And by connecting more neighborhoods –and neighbors – transit helps everyone share in a growing economy and a healthier city.
Click above or keep reading for details on the Marion County Transit Plan and the issues you care about.
*At this time, the implementation of route network changes has been postponed as part of IndyGo’s COVID-19 response. Please visit IndyGo’s website to learn more.
JOBS & THE ECONOMY
Transit Drives Jobs: Most transit trips are to work (60% nationally); frequent transit puts employment within reach:
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75 percent of jobs in major metros are near transit service;
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Twice as many 20-30-year-olds use public transit regularly to get to work (vs. the older workforce).
The Marion County Transit Plan brings:
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A larger fleet (23% more busses) and longer hours (70% increase in service hours) -- All-day, high-frequency service, seven days a week: “every route, every day.”
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Crosstown service routes convenient for more people, employers, neighborhoods.
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Easier transfers, real-time arrival/departure information and new payment options.
*By 2021, the expanded transit system:
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Doubles employment within a half-mile of frequent routes – convenient access to half the city’s jobs.
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180% more people within a five-minute walk of high-frequency transit service.
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3 new rapid transit lines running within a half-mile of 165,000 potential riders, 200,000 jobs (starting with the Red Line).
The transit plan supports housing and commercial construction, neighborhood development and jobs:
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Local and national real estate studies show that 20- and 30-year-olds prefer walkable neighborhoods with transit options.
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77% of working adults prefer walkable neighborhoods with easy access to daily needs, proximity to work and transit service.
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Neighborhoods in and around downtown are growing – more than $700 million in residential building underway in the urban core.
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Employers are also moving (back) to urban areas served by transit to be closer to their workforce, potential recruits, customers and strategic partners. (Smart Growth America – “Core Values”)
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Improving transit service will help accelerate and expand these trends – and Indy needs the talent.
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Urban Indianapolis also needs more resident taxpayers and commercial development, for a stronger tax base that supports investment in public safety, quality of life, economic development and other priorities.
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The three rapid transit routes in the Marion County plan – starting with the Red Line – have the most potential to create demand for new development; similar services in Cleveland, Portland, Dallas and other cities have generated billions of dollars in new economic activity.
QUALITY OF LIFE
Today, more people in Marion County live in poverty than ever before, including a third of African-Americans.
High-poverty neighborhoods face declining access to employment, healthy food and basic services – a crisis today with dire consequences ahead:
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It’s more difficult to escape poverty in Indianapolis than almost any other big city; children growing up in low-income households here are likely to earn less than their parents.
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Inner city life expectancy is a decade shorter than more affluent suburbs just a few miles away.
Mass transit plays an important role in the fight against economic isolation and inequality – creating access to work, education, and healthier lifestyle options.
IndyGo’s Marion County Transit Plan helps reconnect underserved neighborhoods to our economy and community:
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*By 2021 the plan would extend high-frequency bus service to 100,000 more minority residents than today
(180% more than today); -
Triples service to families in poverty, seniors (65+), and households including someone with a disability;
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Roughly 30,000 households in Indianapolis don’t own their own car – today, less than 1 in 3 of these families live in walking distance of a frequent bus route – the plan boosts that number to 2 in 3;
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Expanding service means enhancing economic opportunity – the plan expands access to jobs and links urban college campuses like IUPUI, Ivy Tech and Martin with rapid or high-frequency service;
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Significantly increases job opportunity and access for evening and weekend job schedules with extended hours.
INDEPENDENCE
For those who can’t drive – or prefer not to – reliable transit service means continued independence and a more active lifestyle.
Access to transit can help older residents stay in their homes and manage their daily routines. Reliable transit also empowers persons with disabilities with more mobility options.
Indianapolis ranks near the bottom of similar cities in transit service near senior care facilities; 8 of every 10 Marion County residents ages 65-79 have poor access to transit.
In total, less than one in ten Indianapolis seniors (65+) live near frequent bus service.
Only 13% of Marion County households that include a person with a disability are within a half-mile of frequent bus service.
The Marion County Transit Plan dramatically expands IndyGo’s service where it is needed most:
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Older adults living near frequent bus service – up 200%
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Households including a disabled resident – access to frequent bus service up 185%
This means that roughly 40,000 more older and disabled citizens will live near frequent bus routes – all day service, buses arriving every 10-15 minutes – by 2021*.
More than 30,000 will live near new rapid transit service.
As Baby Boomers continue to grow the 65+ population, a transit system with broad coverage and access to healthcare and other necessities will be even more important – the time to start expanding service is now.
*At this time, the implementation of route network changes has been postponed as part of IndyGo’s COVID-19 response. Please visit IndyGo’s website to learn more.