|
The Greater Greenwood Chamber has worked to expand regional transit for the last eight years because we believe it is smart economic development strategy. An expanded, efficient system will better connect residents to jobs, education, health care and entertainment. It will improve the quality of life for those who cannot drive. And it will better attract and retain a talented workforce, particularly today’s largest generation of workers who choose not to drive. But improving public transit requires improving funding. Therefore, the Chamber asks Marion County residents to VOTE “YES” to transit question 2 on November 8.
A “YES” vote will fund improved public transportation services and accelerate the full development of the Red Line (Bus Rapid Transit Line) in Marion County. If voters approve the referendum, and City-County Council adopts it, the Marion County transit plan will:
• create a connected, frequent network of buses and rapid transit lines (70% more service than the current system).
• shorten wait times and increase morning, evening, and weekend hours.
• expand the Red Line from UIndy south to County Line Road, and implement the Blue and Purple (east-west, including airport) rapid transit lines.
Why does this matter to the Chamber, and to you? “Indianapolis is the nation’s 14th largest city, yet ranks 83rd in terms of bus fleet. Expansion of the bus system will help Chamber members and the community at large in several important ways,” explained Chamber CEO Christian Maslowski.
“Improved transit will better connect employers to an expanded pool of qualified workers. Members of the millennial generation (born between 1980 and 2000) now constitute the majority of the workforce, and attracting talented young workers is key to local economic development. Surveys and data show that Millennials are looking for walkable, mixed-use, transit-served neighborhoods. And yet, Indianapolis is ranked 64th in the nation in terms of public transit access to employment.”
An enhanced transit system will net a positive return on investment. The improved system will better connect businesses to a larger customer base and spur economic growth via new development along the rapid bus route, further creating jobs, he said, noting that money spent on transit typically generates $3 for every $1 invested.
Maslowski added that an expanded system “will improve our quality of life, linking our residents to regional sports and cultural centers. Consider that in Indianapolis, 79 percent of seniors face poor access to transit. For seniors and other non-drivers, this creates a sense of isolation and fewer dollars spent in the community.”
Another quality-of-life issue is income upward mobility, Maslowski explained. Indianapolis ranks 46th among the nation’s 50 largest metro areas in this area, and an enhanced transit system could help lower income residents improve their employment opportunities.
The Indy Connect initiative, in a comprehensive transit planning report, stated that since 2009, it “has engaged city leaders, neighborhoods, businesses, residents, local organizations, and national transit experts to look at transit in Central Indiana, and to map out what an improved transit system could look like in Indy. While transit isn’t a silver bullet, these groups recognize that access to useful, low cost transit service has a positive impact on a number of Indy faces."
Additional – and dedicated – funding is required to improve our local transit system. On November 8th, Marion County residents will have the option to vote on a new income tax of 25 cents for every $100 of income to pay for improving public transit. This is the question that will appear on Marion County ballots:
“Shall Marion County have the ability to impose a county economic development income tax rate, not to exceed a rate of 0.25%, to pay for improving or establishing public transportation service in the county through a public transportation project that will create a connected network of buses and rapid transit lines; increase service frequency; extend operational hours; and implement three new rapid transit lines?”
According to a member poll conducted earlier this year, nearly 60% of Chamber members would support an income tax investment to fund efficient mass transit development.
“In sum, transit drives jobs, independence, and quality of life” Maslowski concluded. “We strongly urge Marion County residents to VOTE “YES” to transit question 2 on November 8.”
For more information on the Marion County plan and why it matters, visit www.TransitDrivesIndy.com
And download a quick facts sheet on why you should VOTE "YES" November 8.
Related: In further efforts to develop a regional transit plan, the Chamber will continue to work with the Pleasant Township Advisory Board and encourage it to place on the 2018 ballot a funding referendum to improve public transit in Pleasant Township. This local plan could include extending the Red Line rapid bus into Greenwood, connecting Pleasant Township with the rest of the region’s new transit system.
|