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......... LETTER: January 14, 2004 IndyGo Proposal for Route Cuts Catherine Burton, President of McANA, sent the following letter to Mayor Peterson. RE: Proposed elimination of IndyGo bus routes Dear Mayor Peterson, It was with great alarm that the Marion County Alliance of Neighborhood Associations learned of IndyGo’s proposal to eliminate a significant number of current bus routes, primarily on the south side, and reduce service on other routes. While we understand that the IndyGo system is facing a severe financial deficit, we urge you in the strongest possible way to intercede, if possible, and delay any action to diminish current bus service until such time as a more thorough examination of IndyGo’s fiscal policies, expenditures and revenue streams can be more closely examined. As Indianapolis grapples with the complex issue of a fostering a multi-disciplined public transit system commensurate with a city the size and stature of Indianapolis, continued reduction of services of the only public transportation currently available to our residents seems extremely short-sited. “Quick fixing” IndyGo’s hemorrhaging budget by slashing services only addresses the symptoms of the problem without framing the causes within the larger context of an integrated public transit system. We would respectfully suggest that the City of Indianapolis convene a special task force of citizens, business concerns, elected officials and IndyGo representatives to conduct a thorough examination of IndyGo’s finances, services and future plans. This task force could be modeled after the very successful effort made by the Indianapolis Marion County Public Library a few years ago as a precursor to the implementation of their current long-range capital improvements campaign. While the catalyst for the IMCPL committee may have been somewhat different in that they were seeking to expand facilities and services rather than cutting, this truly interactive effort allowed a fresh perspective on solving potential problems and meeting new challenges and provided unparalleled insight into the library system and its functions. MCANA believes that such a process could be extremely beneficial in exploring the systemic problems which seem to chronically beset IndyGo, raise public awareness of Indianapolis’ public bus system, increase accountability and encourage exploration of alternatives for continuity and expansion of services. While the end product of any in depth external and internal examination of the IndyGo may ultimately yield the opinion that the bus service cannot operate at a revenue neutral level, we must consider IndyGo as an infrastructure component vital to serving the citizens of this City and explore options to provide additional funding. Aggressively maintaining and marketing a customer friendly, service oriented public bus system can encourage residents from all strata and cultures to use public transit and relieve increasing concerns about traffic congestion and environmental impacts caused by private automobiles, thereby providing opportunities for savings in other arenas. Finally, generating monies and programs to subsidize other services, such as housing, employment, education, and medical care, for moderate to low income level populations or to the elderly or other at risk groups is self-defeating if we do not also find the means to provide reliable and accessible transportation. Sincerely, Catherine A. Burton, President
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