As legislators tinker with road funding plans, mass transit advocates say not to forget them.
Kim Irwin with the Indiana Citizens' Alliance for Transit says buses, rail and even bike trails and greenways are part of infrastructure too -- and they're the kind of infrastructure that attracts people.
The group isn't looking for money in the road bills. But Irwin says they want to start legislators thinking about increasing transit funding next year in the state budget.
Beverly Ferry with the Indiana Council on Special Ed Transportation says mass transit is critical to keeping Indiana functioning.
“We’re moving people to jobs, we’re moving people to medical appointments, shopping -- we’re keeping rural Indiana alive and connected,” Ferry says.
Legislators last tackled mass transit in 2014, giving Marion and Hamilton Counties permission to ask voters to approve an extra income tax to expand the IndyGo bus system.