Infrastructure improvements should include projects of all sizes, scopes

INDIANAPOLIS – As lawmakers discuss funding for infrastructure improvements during the 2017 session of the Indiana General Assembly, State Rep. Carey Hamilton (D-Indianapolis) wants to make sure those improvements include smaller projects that can help improve the quality of life for residents in communities of all sizes.

Hamilton said today she will file legislation to create a new program that will enable units of government to apply for matching grants to finance the construction of new sidewalks and multi-use paths in cities and towns. State funding for the program would come from the Hoosier Lottery. Hamilton said she would seek to have $15 million set aside for the program over the next two fiscal years.

“When we talk about improving the infrastructure across our state, the conversation usually focuses solely on large-scale improvements to roads and bridges,” Hamilton said. “People should know that there are many, much smaller projects that are very important to cities and towns, even though they are not as large in their scope.

“Are sidewalks as glamorous as building a new road? No, but they are critical because they provide people with better access through their neighborhoods and communities as a whole,” she continued.

In recent years, Hamilton noted that multi-use paths have grown in popularity across Indiana because they provide space for both pedestrian and bicycle traffic.

“’Quality of life’ has become a commonly-used term these days, but my proposal strikes at the heart of concerns that many local officials have about attracting residential and business development,” Hamilton said. “They want to have neighborhoods and downtown areas that provide easy, safe access for their residents. Too often, these ideas have to be left behind because units of government simply do not have the financial resources available to pay for them.

“My legislation provides a way for them to get the funding that can make these projects a reality, and since it uses existing resources and doesn’t require any kind of tax increase, it is a common sense approach to a pressing need,” Hamilton concluded.