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On November 8, Marion County residents will vote on the Marion County Transit Plan. If passed, this plan will not only allow buses to run more frequently, but also extend operational hours, and create three rapid transit bus lines. The Transit Plan will increase our local income tax 0.25% — 25 cents for every $100 — to pay for these proposals.

This is a pretty easy decision for me: Pass the Transit Plan. Vote yes.

Why?

Consider the hypothetical Indianapolis family of four earning the median household income that is just north of $42,000. This family uses some form of transportation, most likely a car. Currently, the average annual cost of owning and maintaining an automobile is around $9,000, or about $750/ month. The proposed IndyGo schedule changes resulting from the public transit referendum will increase bus frequency as well as extend hours of service, making it highly likely that public transit could become the primary mode of transportation for many families.

If the Transit Plan passes, a family earning the median household income of $42,000 will see an increase in local income tax of an additional $105/ year (I’m not factoring in exemptions and credits because I want to keep the math simple). For that increase? A transit system that could replace a car. Even with the local option income tax increase of $105/ year plus two 31-day passes ($60 each), the annual cost for public transportation would be $1,545. That's a savings of $7,400 a year compared to owning a car. But let's say our hypothetical family isn't spending $9000/ year on a car, and maybe it’s just half of that, $4,500. Adequately funding transportation to maintain quality of service would still save this family around $3,000/ year. This is a profound difference, and one that frees up thousands of dollars for other expenses.

I support this transit initiative for other economic reasons, and the research on the high return on investment in public transportation is well established. Our family of four with the median income? They’ll be getting around a $400 return on their investment of just over $100 in the form of economic output, job growth, and local tax revenue even if they never set foot on an IndyGo bus.

But I see this as more than an economic issue, and there is more to this story than household finances. There is also the issue of quality of life and community. In my work with IndyGo (full disclosure: I collaborated with IndyGo for Moving Stories, but I do not work for them, and I am only speaking for myself here), it was not uncommon to speak with riders who spend two, three, or even four hours a day in their daily commute from home to work and back. Much of this time was spent waiting on their bus. Certainly the Julia M. Carson Transit Center has helped alleviate this time for some routes, but it can only do so much. These are people who work fulltime (often more than fulltime) who are likely earning the household median income, but who rely upon public transportation to make their family budgets work. These are fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters who are caring for loved ones. If these riders and others like them are able to regain an hour or two each day, what would that do for them, their family, their community? What potential could be unlocked?

This story is also one of social justice. Many of the people who keep our downtown cultural, government, and business centers clean and functional already rely upon public transit. Many of the people who sort our packages at warehouses outside of the city and who labor at our airport already rely upon public transportation. Unable to afford housing close to their employer, these workers spend hours each day, often six and seven days a week, commuting to work and back.

Many of our senior citizens and neighbors who are unable to drive because of a disability retain their independence because of our bus system but would like to travel more quickly and at more times of the day. Do we ask all of these people to keep waiting? Because that's what we'll be doing by failing to pass the transit referendum. We can fix this. Here and now. This is what is on the ballot.

I've spoken with many who don't like the idea of another tax. Fair enough. But we are already paying for inefficiencies in our current transportation system, and maintaining the status quo will mean that we all miss out on the revenues and cultural capital a robust public transit system will provide. Again, even if you never set foot on an IndyGo bus (but you really should), you will benefit from this transit plan in a number of ways.

I’ve also spoken with people who like the idea of a more robust public transportation system, but they just don’t like this particular plan. They wish instead that another more agreeable solution was available or a different funding option could be found or that light rail was back on the table. That's also understandable. The current referendum on the ballot is not perfect. But it is the only option we have. Let's be clear here: there is no other option, and, given the current level of disdain directed toward urban centers by our Statehouse, there will likely never be another option. This is it. For me, waiting on a better solution is the same as voting to defund public transportation: the result will be same. This is our chance to fund transportation, to move forward toward a city that realizes its potential and reap the rewards of smart public transit. Or, to remain stuck and waiting.