Sarah Michalos, Daily Journal of Johnson County Staff Writer

Start a rail service from north of Indianapolis south to Greenwood so commuters can read the newspaper or get a jump-start on the day's work on the way to the office.

Add a toll lane to Interstate 65, including the segment through Johnson County, where motorists would pay an extra fee to drive in a less-congested lane with a higher speed limit.

Have IndyGo buses run from Indianapolis to northern Greenwood more frequently, allowing people to hop on every 10 minutes instead of having to wait 30 minutes for the next bus to arrive.

These ideas are from a regional plan unveiled this month following a year-long study of ways to improve transportation in and around Indianapolis.

Planning is in the early stages. Input collected from central Indiana residents during a series of 30 public meetings this spring will be used to craft a more detailed version of the plan to be released in the fall.

Overarching goals of the initiative, called Indy Connect, include redeveloping neighborhoods, attracting businesses and jobs and increasing property values, said Ehren Bingaman, executive director of the Central Indiana Regional Trans­portation Authority.

Indy Connect was formed by members of a task force and the transportation group, along with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization and IndyGo, the Indianapolis bus system.

Many of the transportation ideas could change drastically after people make suggestions, Bingaman said.

Residents in Johnson County might suggest that express bus routes be expanded to Franklin or to a different part of Greenwood from where the express routes used to pick up riders, he said.

Greenwood used to have an express bus route that ran from a stop on State Road 135 to downtown Indianapolis, but it was discontinued in the fall because it didn't have enough riders.

The route wasn't a failure but instead generated interest in mass transit and showed that the location wasn't appropriate, said Ron Deer, a member of the Greenwood City Council and Central Indiana Regional Transportation Authority board.

"We need to bring the regional transit system to the forefront," he said.

Bingaman also expects that feedback will dictate whether a commuter rail from Fishers through Indianapolis to Greenwood would be used by the public, he said.
Input would determine how many stops there should be and how many miles between each, said Sean White, executive director of the Central Indiana Transit Task Force.

The rail system would be designed for commuters, which means it would have fewer stops and travel at a higher speed than a bus system, he said.

Rail plans

Planners first discussed nearly a decade ago bringing a different type of rail system to the Indianapolis area; a light-rail that would have required all new tracks, million of dollars to fund and years to build.

The new Indy Connect draft plan calls for the system to run on existing rails. The service would run all day, with more frequent stops during morning and evening rush hours.

"Will folks tell us, maybe it should go to Franklin or stop in Greenwood or extend further south?" Bingaman said.

The same goes for a plan to expand existing IndyGo bus routes that make several stops between Greenwood and Indianapolis, such as at Greenwood Park Mall.

Now, riders are picked up every half-hour or hour, depending on the route. An expansion of the service would mean that buses would show up every 10 to 20 minutes, giving riders more flexibility, Bingaman said.

But the plan doesn't leave out people who aren't willing to ditch their cars and board a bus or train. One idea is to add a toll lane on interstates leading to Indianapolis, such as on I-65 south of Interstate 465.

The plan would require the addition of a new lane, which drivers could pay a set fee to take. Incentives to taking the lane include less congestion and possibly a higher speed limit, Bingaman said.

Revenue from the fees would pay for the construction of the lanes and also generate an estimated $10 million annually, according to the draft plan.

How far the toll lane would extend is unknown.

Demand increasing

Demand for public transportation is illustrated by the growing number of people who use Access Johnson County to get around, Deer said. The draft plan allows for quick options that would get people off the road and onto a bus, such as expanding the bus service. Other aspects, such as the rail, would come in five to 10 years, Deer said.

Transportation improvements have had a great impact on other communities, such as Denver and Charlotte, N.C., Bingaman said. New companies coming to the cities want to be close to train stops so their employees can take advantage of them.

Private companies invested a quarter-billion dollars in the first segment of Charlotte's freight rail line, Bingaman said.

"Why not Indianapolis?" he said. "We have so many great neighborhoods to get connected, so many people who would use the convenience of getting to work. It seems like an opportunity we should be pursuing."