Star Editorial: Revved-up plan could save IndyGo

May 28, 2010
The Indianapolis Star

Greg Ballard has again stepped into a crisis not of his own making to provide not only temporary solutions but also ideas for how to obtain a long-term resolution.

As with his intervention this month to keep open six branch libraries targeted for closure because of the library system's budget deficit, Ballard on Thursday announced a series of emergency steps designed to help the city's bus system, IndyGo, avoid cutting services while simultaneously raising fares.

City Controller David Reynolds emphasized on Thursday that each of the primary measures -- tapping into IndyGo's reserve funds, using an existing line of credit and shifting more of the property tax levy from capital to operations -- is only a temporary solution, designed to get the bus service through the next budget year. But the moves will help IndyGo avoid cuts in service that would have been disastrous for many residents who rely on the bus system for transportation to work, to doctor's appointments and for trips to grocery stores.

At the same time, Ballard's office plans to assign its high-performance government team to analyze IndyGo's operations in hopes of finding efficiencies that will lead to long-term savings. Reynolds notes that independent agencies such as the library system and IndyGo operate out of their own silos, with little discussion about how sharing operations could save money.

Reynolds said the mayor's team will explore whether consolidation of backroom operations such as accounting, finance and information technology departments could give the library, the bus system and other independent agencies more flexibility in their budgets, especially in light of property tax caps that keep local governments from turning to higher taxes as an easy solution to their financial problems. "The circuit breaker forces local governments to tear down silos,'' Reynolds said.

Ultimately, Indianapolis and its neighbors in Central Indiana need to invest in a regional transit system, including bus lines that extend beyond the city's boundaries. But, as Reynolds acknowledged, the city must fix its broken bus system before it can credibly ask other communities to invest in transit.

The first step toward building a truly functional system is to ensure that IndyGo doesn't continue to deteriorate. Ballard's intervention gives the bus service the time it needs to prepare for a much-needed and long-delayed overhaul.

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