The way we get around today — driving, biking, walking or taking transit — has a lot to do with infrastructure that was planned years ago. Roadways, transit lines and bridges often are conceived decades before any concrete is poured.
In other words, if residents want to have a say in future infrastructure, they need to speak up long before the traffic cones come out. And now’s their chance.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization is at work on Central Indiana’s 2045 Long-Range Transportation Plan, and has announced it is seeking community input.
“The Long-Range Transportation Plan, or ‘LRTP,’ is updated every four years,” said Anna M. Gremling, executive director of the Indianapolis MPO. “It’s the regional vision for investments in major transportation projects, and we use it to guide decisions on how the region spends its transportation dollars.”
While projects submitted for inclusion in the LRTP are assessed based on a scoring process that includes performance measures, community input is also considered, Gremling said.
To that end, a series of community meetings are set in Marion and seven surrounding counties so the public can learn what’s being planned in each area and suggest improvements. Residents can find a meeting that’s convenient for them by checking the following list of dates, times and locations.
- Sept. 11, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library, 250 N. 5th St., Zionsville
- Sept. 12, Noon-1 p.m., Julia M. Carson Transit Center – 2nd floor meeting room, 201 E. Washington St., Indianapolis
- Sept. 12, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Pike Branch Library, 6525 Zionsville Rd., Indianapolis
- Sept. 13, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Hancock County Public Library, 900 W. McKenzie Rd., Greenfield
- Sept. 14, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Mooresville Public Library, 220 W. Harrison St., Mooresville
- Sept. 16, 3-4 p.m., Franklin Branch Library, 5550 S. Franklin Rd., Indianapolis
- Sept. 18, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Avon Town Hall, 6570 E. US Highway 36, Avon
- Sept. 19, Noon-1 p.m., Central Library, 40 E. St. Clair St., Indianapolis
- Sept. 20, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Lawrence Branch Library, 7898 Hague Rd., Indianapolis
- Sept. 21, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Noblesville City Hall – 2nd floor meeting room, 16 S. 10thSt., Noblesville
- Sept. 25, Noon-1 p.m., Decatur Branch Library, 5301 Kentucky Ave., Indianapolis
- Sept. 25, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Westfield Trustee Office, 1549 E. Greyhound Pass, Carmel
- Sept. 26, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Johnson County Public Library – Franklin Branch, 401 State St., Franklin
- Sept. 27, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Johnson County Public Library – White River Branch, 1664 Library Blvd., Greenwood
- Sept. 28, 5:30-6:30 p.m., CAFÉ – Community Alliance of the Far Eastside, 8902 E. 38th St., Indianapolis
