Comments on Advance Indiana™: More Bus Rapid Transit Lies

Indeed- disband the Sh*tty Counters!

2016-04-19T21:20:42.793-05:00

Indeed- disband the Sh*tty Counters!

ANON 12:56 --> Right On, Brother! I know you...

2016-04-19T13:35:05.153-05:00

ANON 12:56 --> Right On, Brother! I know you're talking right about all that. I can't tell you how many times I contacted and personally spoke to Indianapolis City County Councilors. They do not give a shit about anything you have to say other than to whine that they are powerless to do this or that. I spoke to both Democrats AND Republicans on the Council. Both parties are the same group working left or right aisles. Worthless.

Who needs these useless, taxpayer financed clowns? DISBAND THE INDIANAPOLIS CITY COUNTY COUNCIL, SAVE $$$ ON A BUNCHA NOTHING.

It's a waste of time talking to these city cou...

2016-04-19T12:56:14.957-05:00

It's a waste of time talking to these city council members. Other than Scales there aren't any others even willing to hear what people have to say unless you've got something to rub between their palms.

No, I'm not misleading 12:15. That was my poin...

2016-04-19T12:42:26.952-05:00

No, I'm not misleading 12:15. That was my point about Scales' argument about other preferred routes. Keystone was a preferred route in the earlier study. Now they say it's a horrible choice. The jog over to Meridian was added to make sure it passed by Ivy Tech's campus.

Gary, Meridian Street from I-65 to 38th might poss...

2016-04-19T12:15:31.752-05:00

Gary, Meridian Street from I-65 to 38th might possibly have the highest ridership outside of downtown. This area is full of apartments with transit dependent riders. It is far denser than College south of 38th. It sounds like you are not telling the whole story with that argument.

The IndyGo College Avenue Passenger service revenu...

2016-04-19T12:09:07.212-05:00

The IndyGo College Avenue Passenger service revenue levels reported 12/31/15 were down 7.2% . There's going to have to be a lot of making up to do to reach their increased ridership goals for the RedLine.
How is it not a gross conflict of interest for Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce"s V.P of Government Relations and Public Policy, Mark Fisher, to also serve on boards that award grant money to, and publicly endorse each other's projects-CICP, CICF, MIBOR, IndyGo, LISC,Midtown Indy, Indy Connect, Regional Transportation Alliance, and Steering Committee for Indianapolis Public Transportation Group

Has everyone forgotten about the Clarian Health Pe...

2016-04-19T11:36:42.708-05:00

Has everyone forgotten about the Clarian Health People Mover? It cost $40 million to build a 1.8 mile long elevated electric train. Virtually no hospital employees, let alone members of the public, use this monstrosity to travel between the Methodist and the IU campus hospitals.

As one lady testified at the hearing, most of the ...

2016-04-19T11:26:52.648-05:00

As one lady testified at the hearing, most of the riders along College Avenue jump aboard south of 38th Street. The Red Line turns onto 38th Street and heads over to Meridian, completely bypassing the lower-income residents entirely who would be more likely to ride it. The Red Line is a party bus for choice riders, not transportation of necessity for transit-dependent riders.

It is unclear how much the cost of this project wi...

2016-04-19T11:09:26.929-05:00

It is unclear how much the cost of this project will be assumed by the Department of Public Works. Designers have touted the construction of new sidewalks, wait stations, and of course there will be additional roadwork the cost of which may escape IndyGo's budget. And as far as IndyGo's budget, IndyGo representatives stated that $290,000 is now available to be spent on providing information to the public or in other words lobbying public opinion which is illegal to do.

As discussed, the 25% ridership threshold pertains solely to the Red Line and is not influenced by IndyGo's other operations. The pie-in-the-sky view is that the dramatic increase in passengers along the Red route will achieve this number. This view is still held despite College Avenue residents testifying as to current lack of ridership. Can those with so much time and energy invested in the project see the forest for the trees?

As far as the proposed grants to affected businesses, these would be awarded by contributions from the Chamber of Commerce business community. Yes, the same ones who lobbied their 10% out of Red Line SB 176.

Horses - we need more horses

2016-04-19T07:53:43.750-05:00

Horses - we need more horses

In the 1950s, the population of the city (Center T...

2016-04-19T06:29:59.924-05:00

In the 1950s, the population of the city (Center Township) was 330,000. Today it is 145,000. Smart people have been telling Indy "leadership" where to stick it for decades. Those who remain deserve what they get. There are lots of really great places to live, not only in central Indiana, but elsewhere. Follow the lead of the 60% who have abandoned Indianapolis over the last 60 years. Tell Indy's leaders what you think of them. Move out now.

One day the reality is going to be admitted: Mario...

2016-04-19T06:17:20.627-05:00

One day the reality is going to be admitted: Marion County is a hollowed out, dead county full of non-producers and an infrastructure that just cannot be revitalized at a realistic cost. Marion County is the new Detroit just as Castleton is the new Lafayette Square. Both political parties, more so the uber-corrupt attorney bigwigs of the Marion County/Indiana GOP, prostituted ethics and laws to create this failure. The downtown Disneyland of hideously clad cheap structures, clutter, and congestion is only sustainable by continual taxpayer dollar injections. The Indianapolis City County Council could not even stop the overt in-your-face lawlessness of the super corrupt Republican Greg Ballard, politically propped up by Jennifer Hallowell Walker and her little hubby Kyle. The naked truth is that the Indianapolis CC Council is a useless body comprised of mostly low information politicians.

Vitality, families, businesses, quality of life, are now often found far more outside Marion County than are contained in it. Don't believe me? Go drive through those counties and learn the truth for yourself. And learn also how the corrupt politicians of the suburbs (can you say "As in Westfield?" or "As in Fishers?" or "As in Carmel?") have learned how to steal from and lie to the voting taxpayers.

And now comes this new boondoggle to the Hoosier taxpayers called "Bus Rapid Transit Lines". We can all screech the truth on Advance Indiana until the Hoosier cows come home but the lying, dishonest, self-interested career politicos [many of them politically connected ATTORNEYS WHO PROSTITUTE THE VERY LAWS THEY ARE SWORN TO UPHOLD] will ram this steaming pile through. NOTHING in politics [like this rapid bus line scam] occurs that has not been privately schemed and planned out in advance.

I participated in a phone poll last night obviousl...

2016-04-19T01:39:36.734-05:00

I participated in a phone poll last night obviously sponsored by the City and/or IndyGo, largely about the Red Line. It was conducted by a gentleman whose native language was not English and who could barely make himself understood, resulting in my repeating answers several times, and correcting him when he read back two answers of mine that he represented as completely opposite of what I had said. I was on the phone with him for over 15 minutes, and from the long delays between questions and answers, it's entirely possible this poll had been outsourced to a foreign company.

The poll was relatively neutral, asking questions on both sides of the issue, until the end, when he repeated several long pro BRT statements, and then asked if any of them had changed my mind and made me feel suddenly in favor of the proposed tax hike. It's clear the city is getting nervous about their pet project and see that big pot of federal dollars slipping away from them. I guess it's not REALLY costing taxpayers because it's FEDERAL money...

Instead of wasting this money on the Red Line's big electric, WiFi-equipped buses and lane-robbing stations, it should go to the parts of the city where bus service is really needed all day long, like 38th Street and Washington Street, and other under-served neighborhoods. The folks in Broad Ripple and Fountain Square have cars and driveways and jobs that pay well enough for them to live there. But the folks on the East and West sides of town are stuck in crumbling neighborhoods where jobs are scarce, and services like groceries and drug stores are few and far between. Those folks rely on the bus all day long for the necessities of their lives, not just during peak ridership times. Put the money where it's needed (if Congress even approves it in the first place).