IndyGo receives $22M for Blue Line safety upgrades on East Washington Street

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IndyGo has received $22 million in federal funding to make safety and infrastructure improvements along the planned route of the Blue Line, the transit agency announced Thursday.

The rapid transit bus line will use the funds from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity grant program to upgrade a 4.7-mile stretch of East Washington Street between Highland and Edmondson Avenues.

The improvements will include lane reconfigurations, dedicated bus lanes, new sidewalks and crossings, signage, ADA-compliant curb ramps and new traffic signals.

“IndyGo receiving RAISE grant funding is a huge win for our entire community, as it doubles as a crucial safety enhancement and public infrastructure project,” said Brandon Herget, city public works director, in a news release.

Infrastructure elements of the Blue Line are still under construction. IndyGo expects the 24-mile route, which travels east-west through the center of Indianapolis, to be open for service in 2027.

The federal funding stems from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity discretionary grant program.

This is the second year IndyGo has been awarded RAISE dollars.

The funding will decrease the amount of taxes needed for the project, according to IndyGo. Officials did not immediately respond Thursday morning to IBJ’s request for more details.

Officials said in a news release the project will increase pedestrian and driver safety.

In an Indianapolis database for tracking crashes, part of the stretch is labeled as having an overrepresentation of pedestrian and bike crashes.

“For the last several years, the Historic East area has been plagued by a high number of serious and deadly crashes,” said IndyGo President and CEO Jennifer Pyrz. “This investment in safety upgrades and street modernization … will also improve transit efficiency for a foundational community within our city.”

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6 thoughts on “IndyGo receives $22M for Blue Line safety upgrades on East Washington Street

  1. Another new adverb, or is it an adjective?, for us to digest. Overrepresentation must mean the area is marginalized, and exists in a safety desert that is undeserved, and segregated, and….

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