College

Corridor Business Organization

C/o Post Office Box 30215
Indianapolis, Indiana 46230-0215

-- CERTIFIED MAIL --

May 5, 2015

Mr. Joe Hogsett, Mayor
City of Indianapolis
200 East Washington St., Ste 2150
Indianapolis, IN 46204

Dear Mayor Hogsett,

The College Corridor Business Organization (CCBO), an Indianapolis small business
coalition formed to oppose the Red Line on College Avenue as currently designed, advises
you of nearly 40 small businesses that have joined together to oppose the Red Line as
designed for College Avenue.

We wholeheartedly support improved bus service in the city, but we strongly oppose the
permanent bus-only lanes planned for College Avenue, 66th St. to 38th St. We do not oppose
more frequent and extended bus service on College. We only oppose the dedicated lanes on
this largely residential street. With the delay in FTA funding and the delay in construction
timeline, re-design of the College portion is possible.

Five of our member business owners request a meeting with you soon to appeal to
IndyGo to revise the design and remove the permanent lanes on College Avenue.

We want to put our appeal in perspective. IndyGo emphasizes unprecedented levels of
community involvement in its planning process, but why does the Indianapolis public have
no idea what the Red Line and Marion Co. Transit Plan are? Once we had conversations
with College Ave. small business owners about IndyGos plans, many who were supporters
changed their view. As the project is implemented over 5-7 years, that shift of opinion will
spread to the general public.

Proponents tout how many voted for the income tax referendum last November: 191,000 of
700,000+ registered Marion Co. voters. More than 500,000 registered voters did not vote
for being taxed or voted against it. This is hardly a mandate. With many voters choosing not
to vote on the question, when they see implementation, the disruptions to their normal city
movement, and the short-changing of the low-income peoples interests, there will be
backlash. As the public learns the facts about the permanent lanes on College Ave. and
Meridian St., no new bus routes in the highly touted transit expansion and the city debt,
public leaders will be questioned.

At a time when leaders of both political parties are under fire, this is the type of project that
creates suspicion of intentions and competence. That suspicion will grow as low-income
citizens observe that the Red Line route primarily serves affluent neighborhoods along

College Corridor Business Organization - c/o P.O. Box 30215 Indianapolis IN 46230
Mayor Joe Hogsett
CCBO Request for Meeting
Page 2

College Ave. This is a classic example of the City-County Council and the Mayors Office not
taking leadership on a technical, complex city initiative that IndyGo has characterized in its
Board Report as one of the largest infrastructure projects the city has ever seen. An angry
public will take it out at the ballot box.

The CCBO opposes the permanent lanes and stations in the middle of College Ave. because:
College Ave. is not wide enough to handle the loss of driving and turning lanes and
parking. The American Transportation Assn. recommends 80 feet for a successful
BRT and two lanes of traffic each direction. College Ave. is 55 feet wide curb-to-curb
and will have one lane of traffic each direction in the Red Line design;
Many CCBO member businesses are experiencing threats of Eminent Domain to key
street-side property that would devalue our long-term investments in the corridor;
Parking loss on College is more than 50% in many blocks. Customers will not be
able to park nearby to eat at our restaurants and patronize our shops;
With IndyGos inadequately designed loading zones, one lane for cars and parking
eliminated, delivery trucks will have to block the only lane in front of our
businesses;
Reduced traffic capacity will force drivers into adjacent historic neighborhoods
permanently altering their historic charm and character some of the premier
(high-property-tax) neighborhoods of the city;
IndyGo has not shared specific traffic studies for key intersections that are currently
congested (52nd, 54th, Kessler Blvd. and Broad Ripple Avenue);
No information is available for emergency or public safety vehicle response times,
and no plan for trash pick-up each week;
The corridor has seen a revival with organic investment by entrepreneurs, small
businesses and developers. Investment is occurring naturally along the corridor;
90-foot long concrete stations and elevated bus lanes in the middle of streets will
reduce the citys flexibility to maximize future innovations in transportation, e.g.
self-driving cars projected within five years, future Uber incarnations;
Oversized buses will make Indianapolis look behind-the-times in a few short years
as transportation innovation leaps forward. Why not maintain maximum flexibility?;
Arguments about the millennial generation not wanting cars or homes are not
accurate: millennials are buying homes once they retire college debt. Recent data
suggests they desire the American dream, which will require at least one car in this
sprawling city; and
A promise of faster bus service is accomplished because the Red Line will stop 1/3
to 1/2 as often. College Ave. will see a reduction in bus stops from 28 today to only
7 stops with the Red Line.

The College Corridor Business Organization is:
Nearly 40 small business owners that represent home and business property
taxpayers to the City of Indianapolis;
CCBO businesses have payrolls that employ hundreds of Indy residents who pay
income and Marion County property taxes (including IndyGos two taxes on
property and soon the new one on income);

College Corridor Business Organization - c/o P.O. Box 30215 Indianapolis IN 46230


Mayor Joe Hogsett
CCBO Request for Meeting
Page 3

Roughly 74 commercial buildings exist on College Ave. from 66th to 38th St. -- CCBO
concern about the devastating impact of permanent lanes is strongly supported;
Founding members of the CCBO analyzed the Small Starts grant application, met
with IndyGo officials, attended numerous IndyGo-IndyChamber pubic forums over
18 months and asked critical questions.
The CCBO formed because IndyGo refuses to consider removing the permanent
lanes on College Ave. and redeploying those resources to buy more buses and
consider other approaches like lane controls at certain times that will increase bus
frequency and travel time on College without the permanent lanes; and
The CCBO formed because the small business voice of College Avenue was not being
heard; the IndyChambers huge advocacy expense represented big business, not
small business concerns;

It is good news that IndyGo and Indianapolis will receive $50 million from the Federal
Transit Administration to help fund the Red Line. While it is only 2/3 of what IndyGo and
IndyChamber promised the public, it will reduce the $176 million debt outlay for taxpayers
IndyGo said in January it would take to build the $1.3 billion bus plan without federal
money. As we know, the remainder of grants IndyGo was counting on from the FTA, which
hasnt been applied for, is doubtful.

We shall contact your office in the next few days to set up an appointment to meet.
Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Lee Lange Scott Goodwine
CCBO Principal and Business Owner CCBO Principal and Business Owner
317-259-4334 317-432-1094

CC: Indianapolis Media Outlets

Attachment: List of CCBO Member Businesses

College Corridor Business Organization - c/o P.O. Box 30215 Indianapolis IN 46230