INDIANAPOLIS — The IndyGo Blue Line is nearing design completion, but Irvington businesses say they still have concerns about the bus route coming through the historic neighborhood.
“Our hope is to make people understand that what we are really fighting for is the historic district, and our businesses and livelihood,” Lisa Bennett, owner of Black Sheep Gifts, said.
The Blue Line will take the place of the current Route 8, which is a 24-mile stretch between Cumberland and the airport. It will go along Washington Street and use Interstate 70, west of Holt Road.
“It’s going to add amenities for our riders, but more importantly this is a huge infrastructure project for the area with improvements to storm water, sidewalks, street paving and ADA accessibility that otherwise wouldn’t have happened,” Lesley Gordon, with IndyGo, said.
Bennett says her main concern is that buses will take away two lanes of traffic. She and other business owners would like to see a shared bus lane instead of a designated one.
“20,000 cars a day on a two-lane road is really pushing it,” Bennett said.
Hazel Toledo at Hazeable says she’s mainly concerned with construction.
“People won’t be able to turn into this parking lot, which will be terrible for my business and every business on the side,” Toledo said.
This week, IndyGo has been hosting public comment sessions to share where the project is at and listen to concerns from businessowners.
“Work with them to understand how they are going to access their business during construction so we can make a thorough plan, and they can thrive during that time,” Gordon said.
Gordon says very little can be done to the design of the Blue Line because it is already 90% finished, but there is room for very little changes.
“Now, the next steps would be environmental things we have to report, so finish that and send it to the FTA so we can move forward to get the approval for the grant and get a bid for construction,” Gordon said.
There will be two public meetings on Thursday at Cumberland Town Hall at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.
