After over an hour of testimony, bill creating moratorium on dedicated lanes for public transit moves to the Senate

A bill that puts a one-year moratorium on dedicated bus lanes passed out of the Indiana Senate on Monday.

Opponents of the bill say the pause could scuttle millions in federal funds for the Blue Line, Indianapolis’s third bus-rapid transit line.

IndyGo has testified that the bill could ultimately kill the Blue Line altogether.

Over an hour of testimony on the bill centered around whether the legislation represented state overreach into the affairs of local government.

Democratic Senator Shelli Yoder (D-Bloomington) talked about her difficulty getting to the airport without a car.

“We should be able to have a transit, a rapid dedicated lines, rapid transit from the airport to the downtown area of Indianapolis,” she said.

The Blue Line would provide bus-rapid transit from Cumberland to the Indianapolis International Airport.

Several lawmakers said the legislation overruled what Indianapolis residents have repeatedly asked for at the ballot box.

Senator Andrea Hunley (D-Indianapolis) said the measure will stall Indianapolis's economic growth.

“How can we be a first-class city without first-class transit that will take us from our airport to our convention center, from our airport into the heart of downtown, from our airport to a variety of hotels,” she asked. “...We don’t need a study.”

Bill sponsor Senator Freeman (R-Indianapolis) said his measure will study the efficacy of dedicated lanes during the one-year pause - and that’s it.

“I’m not saying I’m anti-transit, I’m not saying I’m anti-bus. I’m not saying I’m anti-anything,” he said. “All I’m saying is you should examine shared lanes versus dedicated lanes.”

The bill now heads to the House.

Contact WBAA/WFYI reporter Benjamin Thorp at bthorp@wfyi.org.