SustainLane 2006 US City Sustainability Ranking

Indianapolis: Time for a Pit Stop?

Indianapolis is a city with a long automotive history extending well beyond Formula One racecars. It's no surprise, then, that the city has a car-based culture. There are few public transportation alternatives. Natural gas was discovered in Indianapolis in the 1890s. The city offered free gas to companies that were built there, which led to a booming local automobile industry at the turn of the 20th century. (The Indianapolis 500 began during this era.) Although the boom ended in 1915 when local natural gas ran out, the automobile continued to play an important role in the city's economic history.

Today, four interstates intersect in Indianapolis, a major trucking center and a regional transportation hub connecting Chicago, Louisville, Cincinnati, Columbus, St. Louis, and other cities. The extensive network of highways has allowed Indianapolis to enjoy a relatively low amount of traffic congestion for a city of its size.

Indianapolis has a great opportunity to begin moving from a fossil fuel economy to more sustainable modes of living and cultivate industries around biofuels. While it is a hub of a larger interstate highway network, the city stands to benefit by expanding its bus service and providing more public transit options for its expansive suburbs. As oil prices increase, such tactics will provide options and economic relief to area residents.

The city can help improve its energy security by initiating a sustainability plan and by offering commercial and residential green building incentives. Public awareness and participation in planning and prioritizing all of these issues will be important for any type of sustainability initiatives led by local government.