Transportation in Indianapolis

Indianapolis is served by many different kinds of transportation.

Airports

Indianapolis International Airport, identified as IND, is the largest airport in Indiana and serves the Indianapolis Metropolitan Area. In addition to a recently completed air traffic control tower, the airport is currently undertaking the building of two large concourses, a new airfield, two new parking garages, and apron improvements. The new terminal is being built with the intent of easing passenger access, and is being constructed between the two existing runways. The old terminal will be demolished after the new terminal opens. The current project is slated for completion in late 2008.

Many air services utilize Indianapolis International. FedEx, an Air Freight company, is currently expanding its domestic hub at Indianapolis International. Indianapolis is also a focus city for Northwest Airlines.

Highways

Interstate highways

Several interstates serve the Indianapolis area:
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* serves as a beltway routing around the city and connects to all of the interstate highways.
* serves as connector to I-65 to I-465, on the northwest side of Indianapolis.

US Highways

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Indiana State Trunklines

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Mass transit

The Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation, known locally as IndyGo, provides public transportation for the city. IndyGo was established in 1975 after the city of Indianapolis took over the city's transit system. Prior to 1997, IndyGo was called Metro. Central Indiana Commuter Services (CICS), funded by IndyGo to reduce pollution, serves Indianapolis and surrounding counties.

Historically, Indianapolis had an extensive network of streetcar routes. In 1953, the last streetcars ran in the city. Trolleybuses made their last run in the city four years later in 1957, leaving the city with an all-bus transit system. Recently, an impressive collection of area business leaders have formed Downtown Indianapolis Streetcar Corp., a not-for-profit organization, to investigate the building of a streetcar line in Downtown Indianapolis serving various downtown destinations. [ [http://www.ibj.com/html/detail_page.asp?content=11605 IBJ.com Story Detail ] ] The streetcar line would provide a convenient way for locals as well as tourists for conventions and sports events to move around the various destinations.

A report prepared by Purdue University indicates that buses running on a fuel containing 10 percent biodiesel are likely to help Indianapolis mass transit reduce pollution without compromising fuel economy. The report also suggests introducing more hybrid diesel-electric buses and a fuel containing 20 percent biodiesel (BD20) would further reduce emissions and petroleum consumption [http://www.energycurrent.com/?id=3&storyid=12618&email=1] .

People mover

The public use Clarian people mover connects the Indiana University School of Medicine, Riley Hospital for Children, Wishard Hospital and IUPUI & Indiana University School of Medicine facilities at the north end of the Downtown Canal with Methodist Hospital. Plans for a larger system are being considered that would operate throughout downtown Indianapolis. The existing people mover is sometimes inaccurately described as a monorail, but in fact rides on dual concrete beams with the guideway as wide as the vehicle.

Intercity Transportation

Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Indianapolis at the Indianapolis Union Station. Amtrak provides a thrice-weekly service of the Cardinal to Chicago, New York City, and Washington, D.C. and the daily Hoosier State to Chicago.

Greyhound Lines also operates a terminal from Indianapolis Union Station downtown. The terminal is open 24 hours daily, 365 days a year.

Transportation issues

Although Indianapolis has managed to sustain a relatively low amount of traffic congestion for a city of its population, this is mostly due to the fact that the city covers convert|365|sqmi|km2, [ [http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/mobility_report_2005.pdf The 2005 Urban Mobility Report] ] an area much larger than most cities with roughly 785,000 people. Indianapolis's low population density might also be the reason the city has yet to further develop its mass transit bus system or a heavy or light rail network. As the 13th-largest city in the U.S., Indianapolis has repeatedly been ranked below 40th in mass transit availability.However at recent City, county, metropolitan, and State wide meetings the idea of a heavy rail transportation service has been seriously considered. It would be a four rail system originating at downtown and stretching north, northeast, east, southeast, south, southwest, west, and northwest to the cities suburban areas. The system would be called IndyGo.

Some complaints include [ [http://search.nuvo.net/search?q=IndyGo&btnG=Search+NUVO.net&entqr=0&output=xml_no_dtd&sort=date%3AD%3AL%3Ad1&client=default_frontend&ud=1&oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF-8&proxystylesheet=default_frontend&site=default_collection Indianapolis Transportation Woes] ] :
*the bus-only city mass transit system; the absence of rapid transit and light rail.
*the undue emphasis on automobile travel in city planning; the lack of sidewalks and bike paths.
*excessive automobile usage resulting in environmental degradation (specifically air pollution), as evidenced in the city's often poor air quality
*the lack of cross-town bus routes, forcing bus riders to travel downtown to cross from one side of the city to another, often doubling or tripling what the trip distance would have been with a direct route.
*the "lack of vision" in building a transportation network based entirely on non-renewable resources and old technology
*the paucity of scheduled bus routes, often forcing riders to choose between arriving at a destination extremely early, or late.
*the lack of night bus services, which forces those who work late shifts to find other ways to get around. These can be much more expensive.
*the fiscal costs of building (for instance liens), repairing, and replacing roads

There are other concerns over a lack of safe walking paths in many areas of the city. Many suburbs which were incorporated in the 1960s and 1970s are now relatively near the center of the city, and don’t have sidewalks. This often forces pedestrians to navigate a narrow road shoulder near high-speed automobile traffic.

ee also

*Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation