FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Abbey Webb, Press Secretary
Abbey.Webb@iga.in.gov
317-234-3560
STATEHOUSE (Feb. 29, 2024) — "I didn't want to have to bring a bill to the General Assembly to address an issue that could've been negotiated outside of the Statehouse. However, when IndyGo wouldn't negotiate, I was left with no choice but to propose this bill.
"My goal with Senate Bill 52 has never been about ending public transit. I have always said I think people who need it should be able to access it. My main goal is and always has been to keep Washington Street open to both cars and buses.
"After the introduction of SB 52, the City of Indianapolis has negotiated with the legislature to make sure that goal will still be achieved. There will be shared lanes, and Washington Street will remain accessible without cutting federal funding for local projects.
"All parties involved in this conversation care about the success of Indianapolis. Conversations between local and state government should be encouraged. Civil disagreements are to be expected - and even encouraged - and we should all be able to shake hands at the end of the day.
"This is a compromise all parties can live with - not everyone gets everything they want, but everyone gets something, and that's an outcome I accept."
-30-
State Sen. Aaron Freeman (R-Indianapolis) represents Senate District 32,
which includes portions of Johnson and Marion counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
