Light rail complicates Central Indiana transit legislation
Light rail could become part of an expanded Central Indiana mass transit system under changes the Indiana House made Thursday to legislation making its way through the General Assembly.
The change — one of several the House made — could put the measure at risk in the Senate, which failed to embrace light rail in the bill it passed earlier this month.
The transit bill’s author, Sen. Patricia Miller, R-Indianapolis, said she had hoped she could concur with the legislation that emerges from the House but likely won’t be able to now.
“Light rail was an issue with a lot of legislators early in the process, and I think this is going to have to be something we go back and revisit,” Miller said. “I think this changes the landscape.”
Supporters of expanded mass transit, including Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, would like light rail to be an option. But some lawmakers are concerned about the potential costs.
Rep. Mike Speedy, R-Indianapolis, said he feared the inclusion of light rail would “expose constituents to cost overruns and billions of dollars in debt.”
But Rep. Ed DeLaney, D-Indianapolis, argued that the General Assembly shouldn’t tell local governments what kind of transportation they should use.
Senate Bill 176 would allow counties in Central Indiana to fund a mass transit system with voter approval. Local governments would be allowed to raise income taxes to fund an expansion, and fares would be required to cover 25 percent of the cost.
The House also voted Thursday to restore a requirement that businesses pitch in 10 percent of the operating costs for any expanded mass transit system.
A House transportation committee previously removed a Senate provision that would have levied a corporate income or employment tax.
That was an important provision for many in the Senate who wanted the business community — which has lobbied for expanded mass transit for years — to have “skin in the game.”
Under the new House version, counties would be required to fund 10 percent of the transit system’s operating costs from sources other than fares and taxes. Those sources are intended, but not required, to come from the county’s 25 largest employers and could include advertising or minimum monthly sales guarantees of transit passes.
Miller wasn’t sure those requirements went far enough in getting the business community to participate.
“One of the things that has been mentioned is advertising on the buses,” she said. “Well, they already do that, so that’s not any kind of new revenue.”
The House made two other changes to the bill Thursday.
One removed Hendricks from the list of eligible counties. That leaves Marion, Delaware, Hamilton, Hancock, Johnson and Madison counties.
If the House gives the measure final approval next week, Miller said, she will seek to add Shelby County.
The House also restored language from the Senate version that would require services to be provided to all citizens of a county. Members of the House Roads and Transportation Committee had expressed concerns about that provision’s potential for inviting litigation.
The full House must give final approval to the amended bill. It likely would then go to conference committee, where the two chambers would try to work out their differences.
Call Star reporter Tony Cook at
(317) 444-6081. Follow him on Twitter: @indystartony.
