Indianapolis People Mover – 2004 Project of the Year

The official ceremony to inaugurate the operation of the 1.5-mile Clarian Health People Mover system in downtown Indianapolis took place on June 26, 2003. Since that time, the project has already garnered several awards, including international "2004 Project of the Year", "2004 Concrete in Transit", the prestigious State of Indiana Governor's Award, several Annual Keep Indianapolis Beautiful awards, the Marion County Monumental Award, and has been nominated for other awards yet to be announced. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization is considering expansion of the People Mover system or construction of a similar Automated Guideway Transit system for a large downtown circulator. Media have been commending system developer (SDI) and Jakes Associates, Inc. for the well-managed, fast tracked project. With total support from the Mayor's office, the City of Indianapolis, the State of Indiana, and all related agencies, communities, and private sectors, the project has become an unparalleled success story. Based on a franchise agreement with the City of Indianapolis, Indiana, Jakes Associates, Inc. conceived and managed the implementation of an urban private transit system on a public right-of way, at no cost to taxpayers. The Health Care Transportation Franchise Agreement between the Consolidated City of Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana and Clarian Health Partners, Inc. is the first ever adopted. The complete project budget is $42 million, a fraction of the cost of other projects implemented nationwide, which has led to a better return-on-investment ratio and a superior overall project image. The paper presents the project experience after two years of operation.