INDIANAPOLIS, IN - A central Indiana regional mass transit plan has been bantered about for decades. Expanded bus service? Light rail train? HOV commuter lanes? These ideas and more have been explored, but no solution has met with an approving consensus.
Steve Keltner has attended the public meetings. He has written on the subject on his blog, Plain & Simple. His conclusion is a far cry from the standard responses, however.
Keltner, a Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate District 30, counters the rail project with a proposal that is out the play books of the Connecticut state legislature. Telecommute Connecticut has created a program of training and education that coaches private companies into offering employees a telecommuting option.
Program components include assisting with the formation of human resource policy, assess the current telephony system and necessary upgrades, training and, of course, the mechanisms needed for assessing the financial benefits and employee morale. According to the program case studies, the response by industry has been excellent and the program continues to gain popularity.
As Keltner is quick to point out, the purpose of exploring the light rail in northeast Indianapolis is to find a way to reduce traffic congestion. However, optimistic estimates show the traffic will be reduced less than 5%. The price tag for construction of a rail system could eclipse $1 billion. The financial trade off is underwhelming, at best.
Keltner concludes, "I favor facilitating social trends, rather than forcing expensive taxpayer-funded options."
