INDIANAPOLIS — A bill that would have banned dedicated lanes for the IndyGo Blue Line project is now dead.
According to a statement from Indiana House Republicans, an agreement was reached between state officials, city officials and IndyGo to incorporate more general purpose lanes of traffic along the Blue Line Project.
The agreement called for two lanes of general purpose traffic to be maintained wherever possible along Washington Street in both east and west bound directions.
House Speaker Todd Huston (R-Fishers) released the following statement:
"In meeting with IndyGo and city officials, we were able to find common ground that included updating the Blue Line plans to prioritize traffic flow while still making improvements along Washington Street to better accommodate the mass transit system. By keeping at least two lanes of traffic flow going both east and west, whenever possible, we can limit congestion and the negative impacts on local businesses. While Senate Bill 52 will not move this session, we'll continue to have broader road funding discussions as we move forward and look to the next legislative session."
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IndyGo released the following statement:
"Thank you to Speaker Huston and the General Assembly for continuing the conversation about the Blue Line throughout this legislative process. And thank you to the citizens of Indianapolis who worked so hard to support IndyGo and the Blue Line project."
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett issued the following statement.
“I extend my thanks to Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston for working with IndyGo and the City to come to this commitment. I am grateful for the many community members who continued to show up and advocate for this transformative investment for our city.”
Bill author, State Senator Aaron Freeman released his thoughts.
"My goal with Senate Bill 52 has never been about ending public transit. I have always said I think people who need it should be able to access it. My main goal is and always has been to keep Washington Street open to both cars and buses. After the introduction of SB 52, the City of Indianapolis has negotiated with the legislature to make sure that goal will still be achieved. There will be shared lanes, and Washington Street will remain accessible without cutting federal funding for local projects. All parties involved in this conversation care about the success of Indianapolis. Conversations between local and state government should be encouraged. Civil disagreements are to be expected - and even encouraged - and we should all be able to shake hands at the end of the day. This is a compromise all parties can live with - not everyone gets everything they want, but everyone gets something, and that's an outcome I accept."
