Indianapolis voters have said ‘yes’ when asked if the county should be able to impose a small income tax—about twenty-five cents on every $100—to improve the city's public transportation system.
The vote was advisory only, and did not actually propose the tax, but only wanted to gauge public interest in the measure. If the tax does go into effect, it will be used to create a network of rapid transit and bus lines that is interconnected, increase the frequency of service, extend the network's operating hours, and create three new rapid transit routes.
Experts have pointed out many advantages to using public transportation, including the fact that companies that are considering establishing operations in an area look at how difficult it will be for employees to get to work. Advocates for social justice note that people who have unreliable transportation, or none at all, may not be able to take a job because they cannot get to it.
Younger people might choose to give up cars entirely, and live close to their jobs, using public transportation within the city. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control noted that people who have to walk a few blocks to and from a transit stop are getting much-needed exercise, while also taking cars off the road.
Measures like these can benefit if supporters work with flyer printing companies to create informative materials that can be widely distributed.
