WHO WE ARE

Rethink Coalition began in 2017 as a grassroots group in response to the Indiana Department of Transportation’s (INDOT’s) preliminary reconstruction plans for the North Split. Originally dubbed the Rethink 65/70 Coalition, the group initially worked with the Indy Chamber, Indiana Landmarks, local officials and leaders, and INDOT to modify plans for the North Split reconstruction, which would have expanded the interstate footprint, added 30-foot-high walls, and created other negative externalities. INDOT modified the original plans but did not adopt Rethink Coalition’s ultimate vision of a recessed interstate segment for the North Split, which would have reduced the interstate footprint while still handling traffic demands, enhanced neighborhood connectivity, and created more space for recreation and redevelopment. INDOT was too far along in their planning to start over with a recessed concept.

In late 2019, Rethink Coalition partnered with the Indy Chamber to commission the Visionary Study exploring design options for the remaining portions of the Inner Loop. The study compared a recessed-interstate approach to reconstructing the interstate using the current elevated design. It provides specific metrics on project cost, traffic feasibility, safety, air quality, and environmental justice impacts of the rebuild as-is versus rebuild recessed concepts – including the effects on neighborhoods, businesses, downtown connectivity, and overall mobility. 

The Lilly Endowment funded the study conducted by Arup Advisory, Inc., an internationally recognized design and engineering firm. Rethink Coalition and the Chamber released the Visionary Study’s results in the summer of 2021. Rethink Coalition has used the Visionary Study to launch a community-wide conversation about the significance of the interstate infrastructure to our city’s future economic development and quality of life. The Visionary Study highlights the opportunities presented by rethinking our infrastructure design and development approach. The right plan can spark economic development, provide diverse transportation options to all residents, add to the city’s beauty, and expand our region’s tax base. This Visionary Study places Indianapolis in the vanguard of major American cities developing innovative solutions for the replacement of aging, divisive interstates.

In the spring of 2021, Rethink Coalition formed as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable supporting organization of the Indy Chamber of Commerce, Indiana Landmarks, and the Central Indiana Community Foundation to continue the Coalition’s efforts to educate about and promote the recessed interstate concept. This organizational structure imbeds Rethink Coalition with anchor institutions, strongly signaling a shift in Rethink Coalition’s role from grassroots protest group to collaborative leader.

As a newly incorporated nonprofit, Rethink Coalition broadened its mission beyond the North Split to address comprehensive planning for the entire Inner Loop. Rethink Coalition has remained focused on working with State planners, City leaders, and diverse groups of stakeholders, particularly residents in disadvantaged neighborhoods, to ensure any interstate or road plan in the area takes into consideration the unjust divisions created 50 years ago, reconnecting downtown neighborhoods, and positioning the core of the state’s capital for inclusive economic development. In this role, Rethink Coalition functions as an expert intermediary seeking to understand the challenges involved in rebuilding the Inner Loop to achieve these goals and influencing decision-making in the planning, design, and eventual construction.