DPW’s proposed budget would dedicate $40 million to road repairs

INDIANAPOLIS — The city of Indianapolis is calling for a record amount of money to be invested in residential streets.

In a proposal headed to the Public Works Committee, the city would invest $40 million to do so. It’s something Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said is long overdue.

"Residential roadways have for decades taken a backseat to the repair and rehab of Marion County's main heavily traveled thoroughfares," Hogsett said.

Of the $40 million proposal, $25 million of it would be dedicated to fixing residential roadways. Especially those that are in the worst shape.

"Neighborhoods that are going to be targeted are ones where we work with each of the 25 councilors and let them prioritize you know the ones that they hear from their constituents the most," Dan Parker Indianapolis DPW Director said.

DPW says they pick which streets to repair based not only on citizen complaints but on a grading scale as well.

"DPW analyzes every single street in the city, and we create a pavement condition index so the lower that index the worse the street is," Parker said.

The other $15 million of the funding would be used for main thoroughfares.

The city says they have also adjusted their projections to reflect the current prices of materials due to inflation. However, the investment in residential areas is still historic for the city and county.

"The Mayor's overall 5-year plan calls for $1.15 billion in infrastructure investments which is just a historic level,” Parker said. “We are literally putting every available dollar we have into infrastructure."

All these investments in infrastructure would happen without increasing local taxes, according to Hogsett. The city has seen a boost in income tax due to more people moving here, which is what would help fund these projects if approved.

The $40 million spending plan goes before the Public Works Committee for a vote on August 11. The full council will vote on the proposed budget for 2023 at the October council meeting.