IndyGo has agreed to relocate a planned stop along the Blue Line from one side of an Irvington intersection to the other, a limited but notable move amid the agency’s back-and-forth with a community where some business owners oppose parts of the bus rapid transit project.
A stop originally planned for the east side of the intersection of Washington Street and Ritter Avenue in front of Irvington Theater will now go to the west side in front of George W. Julian School 57.
IndyGo announced the change at an Irvington Community Council meeting Tuesday, Jan. 16.
The distance between the stops is relatively small — about 300 feet — but it represents a win for Irvington residents, even those who support the Blue Line.
“I think for a lot of people, they feel a little bit more involved in the process now,” council member Jacob Lauer told Mirror Indy. “So I think it’s a really good thing that IndyGo was able to make that switch.”
Lauer said the move also eased some people’s worries about the stop potentially degrading the historic feeling of the local business scene on the east side of the intersection. Among the businesses in the immediate area is Smash’d Burger Bar, whose owner is among those who have been vocal about how the Blue Line may impact business.
The bus stop change followed a Blue Line presentation from IndyGo at the council’s November 2023 meeting.
Lesley Gordon, IndyGo’s chief public affairs officer, told meeting attendees the agency is still communicating with business owners through one-on-one meetings. Residents can also submit a comment form.
As a practical matter, placing the stop in front of School 57 could help make the area safer for students walking or biking to school.
That intersection is where 7-year-old Hannah Crutchfield died and two others were injured after a driver struck her in 2021. They were leaving the school with a crossing guard present, but residents often emphasize how Washington Street — which once served as a national highway — still sees too many motorists flying through areas that would otherwise be walkable.
Michelle Pleasant, an Irvington resident who advocates for pedestrian safety in the neighborhood, is hopeful the design will naturally calm traffic passing in front of the school.
“I’m excited to have it on that side of the street,” she said, “to have that pedestrian refuge where students are crossing the street to get to school.”
At the same time Irvington residents are busy shaping what the project will look like for their segment of the route, state lawmakers are weighing whether projects such as the Blue Line will be able to move forward.
Senate Bill 52 would prohibit the Blue Line from dedicating traffic lanes exclusively for bus use.
Without those lanes, IndyGo has said the project would die along with millions in federal funding to add new bus stations, sidewalks, crosswalks, curb ramps and street upgrades.
Some transportation advocates are headed to the Statehouse on Thursday, Jan. 18, to oppose the bill, which a Senate committee is scheduled to hear during a 9 a.m. meeting.
Mirror Indy reporter Tyler Fenwick covers economics. Contact him at 317-766-1406 or tyler.fenwick@mirrorindy.org. Follow him on X @ty_fenwick.
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