INDIANAPOLIS — A bill that put the future of IndyGo’s Blue Line in question is now dead.
Senate Bill 52 would have banned future mass transit projects from using traffic lanes only for buses.
On Feb. 29, House Speaker Todd Huston announced an agreement was reached between lawmakers, IndyGo and the city of Indianapolis to incorporate more general-purpose lanes of traffic in the Blue Line proposal. Essentially, two lanes of general traffic will be maintained in each direction of Washington Street whenever possible.
"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," Huston said. "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."
Construction on the 24-mile Blue Line — that would run along Washington Street, connecting Hancock and Hendricks counties all the way to the Indianapolis International Airport — is set to begin sometime in 2025.
Plans call for 57 new or upgraded traffic signals, 343 new or replaced ADA compliant curb ramps, seven miles of new street resurfacing, nine miles of new or replaced sidewalks, two miles of new or refreshed crosswalks, and storm water improvements.
Brandon Herget, the director of the Department of Public Works for Indianapolis, said federal grant money attached to the Blue Line project would make those improvements possible — leading to a $238 million investment in infrastructure in Marion County.
Huston said the legislature will continue to have "broader road funding discussions as we move forward and look to the next legislative session."
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett issued the following statement on Senate Bill 52:
"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."
IndyGo also released a 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."