World-class cities have transit

The comparison between Indianapolis and Austin, Texas, [April 23] while interesting, missed one major difference. What keeps Indianapolis from becoming world class is our lack of a comprehensive public transportation system. My employment takes me to many cities where light rail is now operational, and having the ability to take the train from an airport to a city’s downtown business sector saves my organization money, saves me time and provides an opportunity to interact with locals whom I chat up for recommendations on restaurants and points of interest. It is unfortunate that our Legislature in its recent session was unable to get a mass transit bill out of committee yet found time to garner publicity by excoriating the Girl Scouts of America on its 100th anniversary and, with the law of unintended consequences in full force, damaged the financial resources of The Greenways Foundation, whose license plate adorns my vehicle. I maintain that, until Indianapolis addresses the issue of affordable, safe and reliable mass transit—including light rail from the airport to downtown—we will continue to congratulate ourselves on a being a great place to live but fail to attract the talent and tax base required to have a thriving, vibrant metropolis.
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Doug Lippert, Carmel