Microtransit pilot program.
SB 476 establishes a new microtransit pilot program in Indiana, to be codified in IC 8-23-33, for the purpose of providing affordable on-demand transportation services to residents of eligible counties. An eligible county is defined as one with a population over 250,000, and the service must operate within a designated service area using multi-passenger vehicles for a fixed fee. The program is designed to be locally administered, potentially through a public or regional transportation or transit authority.
The bill authorizes the Indiana Department of Transportation to administer the program, adopt implementing rules, and award grants to eligible counties that apply and meet program conditions. A county may receive up to $250,000 annually, but must provide a 20% local match and have at least one postsecondary educational institution or adult education center in the service area. Participating counties must report annual usage data to the department, which in turn must compile and submit a yearly summary to the governor and legislative council. The bill also appropriates $4.5 million from the state general fund for grants and sunsets both the appropriation and the chapter on July 1, 2028.
The bill’s impact on state law is to create a temporary, state-funded transportation pilot program and add a new chapter to the Indiana Code governing microtransit. It would expand the department’s responsibilities by giving it rulemaking, grant administration, and reporting duties, while also creating new obligations for participating counties to match funds and submit performance data. Because the program is limited to larger counties and tied to specific service-area criteria, its practical effect would be concentrated in a small number of jurisdictions.
The overall sentiment reflected in the available materials is neutral to supportive, though the record provided does not include committee testimony or recorded votes. The bill’s structure suggests an emphasis on experimentation, accountability, and targeted transit access rather than a broad statewide mandate. Any contention would likely center on the size of the state appropriation, the requirement for a local match, and whether limiting eligibility to counties over 250,000 population and to areas with educational institutions is too narrow or appropriately focused.
SB 476 would add IC 8-23-33 to establish a temporary microtransit pilot program, authorize the Indiana Department of Transportation to administer grants and adopt rules, and appropriate $4.5 million from the general fund for county-level microtransit services. It would impose reporting requirements on participating counties and sunset the program and appropriation in 2028, affecting eligible counties, transit authorities, and the department.
No committee transcripts or votes were provided, so there is no recorded debate to measure directly. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears generally supportive of transit access and pilot-program evaluation, with a measured, experimental approach. The absence of opposition in the provided record means sentiment cannot be characterized beyond neutral-to-supportive.
The main likely points of contention are fiscal and eligibility-related: the $4.5 million general fund appropriation, the 20% local match requirement, and the restriction to counties with populations above 250,000. Another possible issue is the requirement that the service area include a postsecondary institution or adult education center, which could limit participation and raise questions about equity and program design. No specific opposing or supporting stakeholders are identified in the provided materials.