Giving Compass' Take:
- The city of Indianapolis fights for efficient public transportation to increase job equity and underscores the importance of community power.
- How are power-building and civic engagement related? What can donors do to support community development and equitable infrastructure?
- Read more about equity in public transportation.
What is Giving Compass?
We connect donors to learning resources and ways to support community-led solutions. Learn more about us.
Combatting the climate crisis is going to require rethinking how Americans move: Greenhouse gas emissions from transportation account for about 29 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. “Global warming has made it very clear what the ramifications of not being more sustainable are,” says Michael McKillip, executive director of Midtown Indy, a non-profit dedicated to the economic growth and revitalization of the midtown of Indianapolis.
McKillip and other advocates celebrated when Indianapolis’ public transportation corporation, IndyGo, recently rolled out an all-electric, bus rapid transit public bus system, one of the first in the country. “It’s truly a pioneering effort for a city like Indianapolis to lead the way,” McKillip says.
Getting the project off the ground took bipartisan efforts, explains Colleen Fanning, a former Republican city councilor for the city, who was involved. Maggie Lewis, a current Democratic city councilor, said initially, other members of her own party warned her against supporting the project. “But I knew in my heart it was important, and if it got me voted out of office I was okay with that,” she says. “It’s not a political issue, it’s a quality of life issue.”
IndyGo’s community advocacy and bipartisan success story is featured in a new Redford Center short film, “Beyond the Line.” Directed by Indianapolis-based filmmaker Sam Mirpoorian, it’s the latest installment in a series showcasing community power in a collective call for civic engagement around clean transportation, justice, and jobs. It’s also a part of The Redford Center’s new Community Power: Clean Transportation Action Toolkit that connects audiences with facts, tools, organizers, and campaigns to get involved in local communities across the U.S.
Access to convenient, efficient public transportation is a critical component when addressing inequity and jobs. “We are the conduit to employment, healthcare, school, entertainment—without IndyGo, many citizens wouldn’t be able to get around,” says Inez Evans, president, and CEO of IndyGo.
Read the full article about economic growth through public transit at Grist.