INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
Sean Northup, Assistant Executive Director
Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization
Largest US Cities
Largest Bus Fleets
Indianapolis, IN
2010 US CENSUS BUREAU
2008 METRO MAGAZINE
829,718 people | 155 buses
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New York
Los Angeles
Chicago
Houston
Philadelphia
MTA (NYC)
Pace (Chi)
Metro (LA)
NJ Transit Corp.
CTA (Chi)
Columbus, OH
787,033 people | 306 buses
Regional Transportation Plan
Multi-Modal (new roads, tolled
express lanes, bikes, trails, HOV
lanes, local busses, express busses,
and both light and commuter rail)
Financing Possibilities (sales tax)
Governance Structure
2009 | HB1660
Regional Transportation Districts
Created out of Joint Committee on Mass Transit and Transportation Alternatives,
chair of the committee became bill’s sponsor
PASSED HOUSE 67-30
Tabled in Senate when it got caught up in Indiana’s property tax and assessment
cap debate
Tailoring the Message
Listen to the public. Change as new data becomes available – weigh market realities with resource
potential and public opinion.
Avoid Confusion. Acronyms and planning terms and the ‘newness’ of transit terms make the
conversation difficult enough.
Facts Only. Data and anecdotes favor broader mode split, so making things up is needless and stupid.
Educate, Don’t Advocate. Be careful of what you say and who you say it to.
Avoid Traps. Congestion relief, air quality improvements, and environmental benefits are all too ‘soft’
to be effective with our public.
ROI and JOBS JOBS JOBS. These arguments carry weight with our more conservative stakeholders.
Focus on Local Bus. Doubling local bus is a winning argument for the urban stakeholders.
Be Cautious With the Numbers. Release them at the right time and ALWAYS in context!
Don’t Hide. This is a public process – get out and be open about what’s proposed, when, where, how
much, and the potential impacts – good and bad.
250+ public meetings across the
region during the day and in the
evening
10,000+ public comments collected
State Fair presence; brought in a
Cleveland BRT
CAC / MAC / DAC focus groups
Recognized by FHWA & FTA as a
national best practice for public
engagement
Indy Connect was awarded Best
Plan & Best Marketing Program in
2011 by APA-IN
2012 | HB1073
Would have authorized referendums in 2 counties to raise income tax .2%
Democrats walked out over Right to Work
DEFEATED 11-10 in the House Ways & Means subcommittee after “right to work”
language was added to the bill
2 Counties, 10 Years
Doubles local bus service
Express bus between
counties,
Local bus in the burbs
5 rapid transit lines
Which one is light rail?
10th
Pennsylvania
HHPA
North
CSX
Transit
Center
Union
Station
Downtown
Transit
Center
Maryland
Washington
South
Delaware
Eli Lilly &
Company
2013 | HB1011
Creates
Passed House
dedicated
Transportation
transit tax up to 0.3%
11-1
Allows
Passedpublic
Housereferenda
Ways & Means
by county
20-2
Creates
Passed Full
a regional
House governance structure
56-39
Passed Senate Local Government 7-2
Committed to summer study by Senate Tax & Fiscal Policy
Carmel | Downtown | Greenwood
Plainfield/Airport | Downtown | Cumberland
Downtown | Noblesville