Issue Position: Streets, Sidewalks & Other Infrastructure
Issue Position
Road potholes, crumbling or nonexistent sidewalks, inadequate drainage, bad alleyways, more street lights, and better park maintenance top your list of infrastructure problems to be solved given what I've learned at your door. To turn things around, we must:
Engage Citizens to Prioritize Infrastructure Repairs/Upgrades and Take Action
Recognize that the volume of repairs/upgrades necessary exceeds existing funding to get all needs addressed immediately (total costs are estimated into the billions);
Involve citizens with the help of neighborhood associations to (a) inventory infrastructure repairs/upgrades on their street and (b) identify first, second, and third level priorities;
Highlight examples of first level needs like the following quote from a downtowner: âWeâve been trying to get sidewalks here for the past 20 years. Iâm on the list of calling⦠for 10 yearsâ¦â;
Serve as a strong advocate for you and our neighborhoods by lobbying the city to immediately focus on first level repairs/upgrades;
Find remedies for citizens who pay taxes for nonexistent drainage in parts of our district;
PROGRESS MADE ON STREETS, SIDEWALKS & OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE:
Justin works closely with City Councilors to engage neighborhood organizations to get their priority lists of streets, alleys, sidewalks in need of repair and then lobby the Mayorâs Office for these upgrades.
Justin supported this yearâs statewide infrastructure funding plan. The program releases over $700 million from the State surplus into State and Local Infrastructure funds. This money will be directed to road and bridge improvements at our state highways but also given to cities to help repave neighborhood roads, fix sidewalks and improve alleys. We also freed up additional $40 million for the City of Indianapolis to use.
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