IndyGo's Blue Line project is up for discussion once again. Here's what people are saying.

A hearing for Senate Bill 52 drew quite a crowd of community members and business owners who feel strongly about the proposed Blue Line project.

Many are strongly against the project moving forward due to fears of construction and and support SB 52, as the bill is presumed to kill the project entirely, while many strongly support more rapid public transportation in designated lanes as they feel it will make the roadways safer.

Here's what to know about the IndyGo Blue Line project and what the community is saying about it.

What to know: What's the future of the IndyGo Blue Line?

What is the Blue Line?

The Blue Line is the third phase of IndyGo's transit-system re-engineering project that is called Bus Rapid Transit. It has already been implemented via the Red Line and the Purple Line.

The 24-mile Blue Line would provide rapid transit along Washington Street between Cumberland and the Airport, using I-70 west of Holt Road. The Blue Line would replace the existing Route 8.

It would affect transportation predominantly in the Irvington neighborhood.

What is Senate Bill 52?

S.B. 52 was authored by Sen. Aaron Freeman and if passed, it would ban the use of dedicated bus lanes statewide, including the Blue Line until July 1, 2025.

The bill would prevent IndyGo from taking two traffic lanes from Washington Street and dedicating them to bus rapid transit for the Blue Line.

IndyGo officials say they believe this would tank the project indefinitely because it would disqualify it from receiving key federal funds this year.

This is the third time in two years that the project has been brought up in the Indiana Statehouse.

Why are people against the Blue Line?

The author of the bill proposed to kill the Blue Line project, Sen. Freeman, argues that IndyGo should do the project with shared bus lanes so as not to disrupt traffic on Washington Street.

Freeman argued that designating lanes for buses takes away the lanes from drivers.

"The citizens of Indianapolis do not deserve dedicated lanes that are going to so screw up their travel that it's going to almost force people to ride a bus," Freeman said at the hearing on Jan. 18.

He claims dedicated bus lanes aren't the only way to address safety concerns on the fast-moving thoroughfare.

"Washington Street could be better, no question," he said. "That could happen other ways, other than taking 60% of your lanes of traffic."

Several businesses in Irvington along Washington Street are worried about how the construction of the Blue Line will affect access to their businesses.

"We just feel like the construction … it's going to really hurt all the businesses along the corridor," Scott Drum, the owner of women's clothing store Josephine’s in Irvington, said.

Approximately ten business owners and community members came to the hearing to express their support for S.B. 52 and voice their concerns about the construction and the Blue Line.

Briggs: Irvington businesses gave Aaron Freeman an ax to kill the Blue Line

Why do people support the Blue Line?

Approximately three dozen business owners and community members came to the hearing to voice their support of the Blue Line. Those who support the Blue Line cite safety and travel efficiency as the top reasons why they want the project to move forward.

Deb Kent, an Irvington realtor, wrote a letter to the editor detailing why she supports the Blue Line. She inititally had her name added to list of businesses in support of S.B. 52, but she shared she did not feel she was educated on the topic before agreeing to it and has since changed her mind.

"I believe a rapid transit line is a good (albeit not perfect) solution for our community," Kent wrote. "Speeding cars are an acute problem along Washington Street. Pedestrians and drivers have been killed. Accidents happen routinely."

Kent is referring to the death of a 7-year-old girl in Irvington who was killed on Washington Street while crossing it with her mother and sister.

"Even one death is one too many," Kent wrote.

Why did Jockamo Pizza change their mind about SB 52?

Kent was not the only person to change her mind about the Blue Line. The owner of Jockamo Pizza, a popular pizza restaurant in Irvington attended the Jan. 18 hearing and testified in support of S.B. 52, but after hearing feedback from the community, withdrew their support.

"While we are among those who have reservations about some details of the project, we support a strong public transportation network and safe, walkable streets for our neighborhood and our city," the restaurant shared in a statement on their website. "As a result, we have decided to withdraw our support for Indiana S.B. 52."

The statement from Jockamo highlights another reason people support the Blue Line is the need for stronger public transportation throughout the city.

"Traditional bus service is notoriously slow," Daniel Dougan wrote in a letter to the editor.

Dougan mapped out about how long it currently takes IndyGo's Route 8 to get someone from the airport to the Julia Carson Transit Center and the trip takes over an hour. He believes the Blue Line could improve this.

"With dedicated lanes that avoid traffic jams, stoplight control that guarantees a green light throughout the route, level boarding, and a properly located station at the airport, that trip that currently takes 1 hour and 21 minutes might end up taking only 25 minutes," Dougan said.

Reliable transportation is something Kent thinks everyone should have access to.

"I am fortunate enough to own a car and can drive anywhere, but so many in our city depend on unreliable buses," Kent said. "I'll often see someone waiting for a bus in miserable weather when I'm driving somewhere and then, 45 minutes later on the way back, I see that same person still standing there in the same miserable weather."

State government and politics reporter Kayla Dwyer and opinion editor and columnist James Briggs contributed to this report.

Katie Wiseman is a trending news intern at IndyStar. Contact her at klwiseman@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @itskatiewiseman.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IndyGo Blue Line: Here's why people are for or against the project