Nicole Oesch raised a glass in celebration.
“We’re just super excited that this is moving forward, so thank you guys so much for being here,” Oesch told about two dozen people gathered at Kismetic Beer Co., a female-owned microbrewery in the Twin Aire neighborhood.
Oesch, the bar owner, had reason to mark the occasion on Thursday, Feb. 29.
Hours earlier, House Speaker Todd Huston had announced that city and state officials brokered a deal to bury Senate Bill 52, which would have banned dedicated lanes for the Blue Line bus rapid transit route, potentially costing them $150 million in federal funding for the $370 million project.
The news caught many off guard, including Oesch, who previously testified against the legislation at the Statehouse.
After all, the promise of the Blue Line was one reason she located her business just south of Washington Street, about two miles east of downtown. “Proximity to the Blue Line was a huge draw for us,” Oesch said.
A few miles away, fellow Blue Line supporters held a separate gathering at Ash & Elm Cider Co. on East Washington Street. Among those in attendance were two leading Indianapolis Democrats — Sen. Andrea Hunley and Rep. Blake Johnson — and Cassandra Crutchfield, the mother of a 7-year-old girl who died after being struck by a driver in 2021 while trying to cross Washington Street.
“I was pretty depressed the last few days,” Andrea Homoya, owner of the near eastside restaurant and bar, told Mirror Indy. “When I got the news (Thursday), I was really excited.”
But people familiar with the inner workings of the Statehouse are more reluctant to declare victory. At least not yet.
[How a vote in favor of Senate Bill 52 almost destroyed $150 million in federal funding.]
‘It’s not over until sine die’
While transit advocates celebrated the victory, a city official involved in the negotiations privately told supporters to resist any grandstanding, particularly on social media, until the legislative session adjourned — or else risk torpedoing the deal, according to two people who received the text messages.
In the waning hours of the legislative session, it’s not uncommon for state lawmakers to make last-minute changes to the language of a bill or introduce amendments that seemingly don’t have anything to do with the legislation.
“I’m feeling very good, but disciplined in knowing that we’ve gotta get to sine die,” said Andy Nielsen, a Blue Line advocate and city-county councilor, referring to the latin term used to describe the end of the legislative session. “We are in a good place right now. Let’s just keep that focus. Let’s let the (Indiana) General Assembly finish its business.”
The legislative session is scheduled to adjourn March 14, though lawmakers have said they may finish their work a week early.
Mysterious backroom deal
There’s also uncertainty around what exactly is in the compromise that city officials and state lawmakers reached last week.
When pressed for more details by reporters after the House adjourned Thursday, Huston said city officials agreed to keep dedicated lanes “in a few pinch spots” while using shared lanes as much as possible.
[Understanding the details that preserve two lanes of vehicle traffic in both directions]
“Our No. 1 goal was to have as much of Washington Street be two lanes both ways as possible,” said Huston, R-Fishers. “We negotiated down to a few pinch spots where they will need to get down to one lane, but the vast majority of it will be two lanes both ways.”
It’s unclear, though, how much of the design can actually change.
In order for IndyGo to remain eligible for $150 million in federal funding, more than 50% of the Blue Line must use dedicated lanes, according to the Federal Transit Administration, the agency that administers the grant. The current Blue Line design already uses shared lanes for about 58% of the route, leaving little wiggle room.
Two sections of the route expected to keep dedicated lanes include the Irvington neighborhood and the area around the former Central State Hospital, a person familiar with the negotiations told Mirror Indy.
While the deal remains shrouded in secrecy, Blue Line advocates are celebrating the win, albeit quietly.
“I’m curious to see what compromise was reached,” Oesch said. “I personally haven’t seen it yet, but I’m hopeful.”
Mirror Indy reporter Peter Blanchard covers local government. Reach him at 317-605-4836 or peter.blanchard@mirrorindy.org. Follow him on X @peterlblanchard.
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