I remember when I was a little girl thinking how cool and grown up it was to ride the bus. It was amazing to me that people knew all the different routes and times to take them anywhere they wanted to go in the city. The independence and big city feel of it always made it seem exciting. Of course, now as an adult I can see and understand all of the difficulties that my innocent mind missed. I can especially see how behind we are even though we are indeed a big city.
Growing up on the Far Eastside of Indianapolis, the bus system has not been the easiest way to get around. Lack of sidewalks, long wait times, and lack of accessibility are just a few issues that have really kept our community from fully being able to take advantage of public transportation. Therefore, any plan to expand routes, increase accessibility, and ease the process of riding the bus is welcome in our community.
I was so excited to hear that the Eastside of Indianapolis would be included in the Marion County Transit plan with the Purple Line. The Purple Line, is a $162 million investment into our community, that will bring:
- Access to 134,603 jobs
- 19 new stations
- New traffic signals
- Repairing of sub grade portions of 38th St
- Resurfacing/Repaving
- New Drainage Infrastructure
- New sidewalks/multi-use paths
- Approximately 355 new or upgraded curb ramps that are ADA compliant
It will run from the transit center downtown up to 38th street, along 38th street until Post road, then along Post road all the way out to Fort Benjamin Harrison. I’m especially looking forward to our community now having access to higher education institutions like Ivy Tech – Lawrence Campus and centers for health and wellness like the Fort Benjamin Harrison YMCA.
While having all of this access is great, I’m also hoping the Purple Line will help bring critical development within our community. Economically, the heart of the Far Eastside has suffered. Intersections like 38th & Post road that serve as a corridor to our community have lacked investment for a very long time. I see the Purple Line not just as a way for our residents to branch out, but also as a way in for the rest of the city. Our community has been working really hard to improve the aesthetic and functionality of our spaces. We have amazing green space projects happening at 42nd & Post road at Capital City Church of Christ. The Community Alliance of the Far Eastside(CAFE) is looking to redesign their parking lot and surrounding area into a multi-use space for the community. After a long battle to remove Oak Tree Apartments, we are also excited for the possibilities that can come from that space. All of this is happening right along the route of the Purple Line.
I’m not saying transportation and infrastructure improvements will suddenly solve all of our problems on the Far Eastside, but I am saying it’s a step in the right direction and bringing some excitement and hope for what’s to come in our city.
