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IndyGo didn’t steal pothole money. Voters approved transit funding. | Letters

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IndyGo didn’t steal pothole money. Voters approved transit funding. | Letters



IndyGo serves 22,000 riders daily who rely on it for jobs and healthcare. The funding is voter-approved and separate from road budgets.

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The April 14 letter titled, “Indianapolis doesn’t prioritize pothole repairs” raises a fair frustration shared by many drivers, but it misrepresents priorities, ignores dedicated funding streams, cherry-picks numbers and overlooks how IndyGo delivers broad, measurable value that helps roads and the city overall.

The 2026 Indianapolis city budget directs unprecedented funding to roads. The Department of Public Works’ most recent capital plan included $218 million for transportation infrastructure in 2026, in addition to key investments in additional snow removal and road maintenance equipment. DPW’s transportation capital funding has nearly tripled since 2016. Since that time, the city has resurfaced 1,279 lane miles and strip-patched 1,169 more. 

The city is prioritizing basics; roads got a massive boost even with tighter revenues.

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The state funding formula has disadvantaged Indianapolis by using two-lane road mileage and ignoring urban complexity. But House Enrolled Act 1461 shifts to a lane-mile formula and provides $50 million extra annually to Marion County — and state law restricts those funds to construction and reconstruction of local streets.

There are several points aimed at IndyGo that are worth correcting and adding important context the public should understand about this critical city service.

The claim that IndyGo’s $432 million budget “could go a long way toward streets” is the most misleading. The 0.25% income tax was voter-approved in 2016 — with nearly 60% voting yes — specifically and exclusively for public transit. These locally raised dollars leverage up to a 400% federal match, multiplying their impact several times over and ensuring Indianapolis captures funding that would otherwise go elsewhere. Diverting them would break a voter promise.

The “less than 2% uses the bus” stat is a classic distortion. IndyGo’s 2025 ridership included 6.7 million trips, or nearly 22,000 riders Monday through Friday. Transit serves disproportionately low-income, senior, disabled and car-free residents who rely on it for jobs, healthcare and school. It isn’t a luxury — it’s mobility infrastructure.

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Public transit isn’t in competition with roads; it complements them. Every $1 invested in public transit generates $5 in broader economic activity. The Red Line alone delivered more than $7 per $1 invested, and IndyGo’s BRT network has already attracted more than $1.2 billion in corridor development.

By completion of the Blue Line, IndyGo will have paved more than 90 miles of Indy streets and built or repaired more than 1,300 ADA ramps. Nearly 7 million riders take cars off the road — fewer vehicles mean less congestion and less wear-and-tear on pavement, directly reducing potholes.

Potholes are real, but scapegoating IndyGo distracts from the actual balanced progress underway. Indianapolis is a world-class city with a great future, and the best is yet to come.

Richard Wilson is treasurer of the IndyGo Board of Directors.

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Indianapolis, IN

Katie Ledecky, Gretchen Walsh, Jack Alexy Highlight Strong Lineup For Indianapolis (Psych Sheets)

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Katie Ledecky, Gretchen Walsh, Jack Alexy Highlight Strong Lineup For Indianapolis (Psych Sheets)


2026 Indianapolis Pro Series

The Indianapolis Pro Series stop next weekend will serve as the final stop of the Pro Series before the 2026 Pan Pac Championships that will take place in Irvine in August. Pre-scratch psych sheets revealed a star-studded lineup including Katie Ledecky, Gretchen Walsh, Ryan Murphy, and Jack Alexy.

The meet will serve as the first competition since both Ledecky and Walsh competed at the 2026 Fort Lauderdale Open at the end of April and into May. Ledecky won the 800 and 1500 freestyles in Fort Lauderdale. Walsh swam to another World Record, lowering her own record in the long course 100 fly as she touched in a 54.33.

Ledecky trains at the University of Florida and much of her training group will be in attendance as Bobby Finke, Emma Weyant, and Kieran Smith. Walsh trains at Virginia, and much of the Virginia group will be in attendance as Kate Douglass, Alex Walsh, Isabelle Stadden, Anna Moesch, and Claire Curzan highlight the psych sheets as well. Cal training partners Jack Alexy and Ryan Murphy highlight the group from Cal that also includes names such as Lucas Henveaux, Gabe Jett, and Ryan Erisman.

Notably not on the psych sheets is the large training group out of Texas under Bob Bowman that includes names such as Regan Smith, Shaine Casas, Chris Guiliano, Luke Hobson, and Carson Foster. Erin Gemmell will be in attendance for Longhorn Aquatics.

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Katie Ledecky‘s Lineup:

  • 200 free: #1 seed
  • 400 free: #1 seed
  • 800 free: #1 seed
  • 1500 free: #1 seed

Gretchen Walsh‘s Lineup:

  • 100 fly: #1 seed
  • 50 back: #7 seed
  • 50 free: #1 seed

Ryan Murphy‘s Lineup:

  • 100 back: #1 seed
  • 50 back: #42 seed (seeded with a 100 back time)

Jack Alexy‘s Lineup:

  • 200 free: #14 seed
  • 50 back: #16 seed
  • 50 free: #1 seed
  • 100 free: #1 seed

U.S. Pan Pac Roster Set To Compete In Indianapolis:

Almost all of the US women’s roster for Pan Pacs will be in Indianapolis as 21 out of 26 women on the roster are on the pre-scratch psych sheets. The men’s side includes 16/26 members of the Pan Pac roster, with most of the “no’s” coming from the Texas men.





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Indianapolis, IN

Person fatally shot on north side of Indianapolis

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Person fatally shot on north side of Indianapolis


INDIANAPOLIS — A person was fatally shot on the north side of Indianapolis Wednesday morning, according to police.

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department says officers were dispatched to investigate a shots fired incident in the 6700 block of Woodmere Circle in the Delaware Trails area, west of Hoover Road, around 5:41 a.m.

They arrived and located a person suffering a gunshot wound.

IMPD originally reported their condition as “awake and breathing,” though the person died sometime after arriving at a hospital.

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According to Public Information Officer Drew Brown, the person who called police was the shooter in the incident.

He told police that two masked individuals approached him before shots were fired. The shooter is cooperating with law enforcement, police said.

Another person was detained on scene; IMPD did not identify or state their role in the incident.

This is a developing story.





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Indianapolis, IN

FBI task force arrests suspect in Indianapolis shooting that injured boy, man

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FBI task force arrests suspect in Indianapolis shooting that injured boy, man


INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Officers with an FBI violent crimes task force on Tuesday arrested a 21-year-old man in connection with a May 28 shooting that injured a boy and a man, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said in a media notification.

The name of the arrested man and his jail booking photo were not released due to an ongoing investigation, IMPD said.

The names and ages of the two people who were shot have not been publicly shared.

As News 8 previously reported, IMPD officers responded about 5:20 p.m. May 28 to a report of a person shot in the 3100 block of Baltimore Terrace in Indianapolis. That’s at The Martindale apartments off East 30th Street, northeast of downtown Indianapolis, and just northwest of the intersection of East 30th Street and North Keystone Avenue.

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The boy and man shot were taken to hospitals by Indianapolis Emergency Medical Services in stable but serious condition.

An IMPD report said a handgun was used in the aggravated assault.

IMPD said the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office will make the final charging decision in the case.



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