Transit Advocates Say Ridership Is Up, But Funding Lags Behind

Public transportation advocates gathered at the Statehouse Tuesday to urge lawmakers to dramatically increase statewide funding for public transit.  

The General Assembly hasn’t increased dollars in the state’s Public Mass Transportation Fund for seven years.  Indiana Citizens’ Alliance for Transit organizer Kim Irwin says that’s despite a 15 percent increase in transit ridership in the last decade. 

Her group wants lawmakers to increase funding to $60 million a year, up from $42.5 million in the last budget.  She says that kind of funding increase would make a huge difference.

“That’s about having buses on the roads longer periods of time each day and on days of the week they don’t currently operate," Irwin said. "It’s about having buses come more frequently.”

House Republican Tim Brown’s proposed budget includes a roughly $6.5 million increase for public mass transit.  He says transit is important as the state becomes more urbanized.

“People younger age want to live in a city and not have to worry about a car," Brown said. "It makes sense long-term for growth of our state.”

Brown says he can’t promise a funding increase in this year’s budget but acknowledges its importance moving forward.