Hornedo Unveils “Fix the Damn Roads” Plan for Indy’s Road Crisis
INDIANAPOLIS — Pointing to a “structural infrastructure emergency” that leaves local drivers footing the bill for blown tires and bent rims, Congressional candidate George Hornedo released a comprehensive policy blueprint today focused on overhauling how Indianapolis maintains its crumbling streets.
The initiative, titled “Fix the Damn Roads,” proposes a multi-government strategy to close a funding gap that currently leaves the city $600 million short of what is needed annually for basic road maintenance.
The Crisis by the Numbers
Despite city crews filling more than 100,000 potholes in 2023, the scale of the deterioration continues to outpace repairs. According to the Hornedo campaign:
The Funding Gap: Indianapolis needs an additional $600 million per year just to maintain current standards.
The “Invisible” Resident Problem: For decades, state formulas “shortchanged” the city by failing to count nearly 200,000 residents in funding calculations.
The Disconnect: Indianapolis maintains 8,400 lane-miles, yet has historically been funded as if it managed only 3,400.
“For too long, residents have been told to accept unsafe streets as normal,” Hornedo said in a statement. “That’s not normal. That’s government failure, and it’s exactly the kind of failure a Member of Congress should help fix, not shrug at.”
A Three-Pillar Solution
Hornedo’s plan moves beyond simple pothole patching, focusing instead on long-term fiscal and structural reform:
- Aggressive Federal Advocacy
Hornedo criticized the current “formula-only” approach to federal funding, arguing that Indianapolis lags behind peer cities in winning competitive grants. He pledged to run a “proactive federal grant operation” that connects city agencies to specialized USDOT programs like RAISE and INFRA to fund rebuilds like 30th Street. - Reforming the Federal Formula
A central plank of the plan involves building a national coalition of “blue city” representatives in “red states” (such as Jackson, MS and Little Rock, AR) to push for changes to the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Program. Hornedo wants federal dollars distributed based on lane-mile burden and urban density rather than simple state population totals. - Accountability and Equity
The plan calls for a publicly trackable “Neighborhood Road Rescue” program. This would allow residents to see exactly when their specific zip codes are scheduled for full resurfacing—moving away from reactive patching toward permanent reconstruction in long-neglected corridors like North Emerson Avenue.
“Fixing the Damn Roads Isn’t a Slogan”
The plan acknowledges recent bipartisan progress in the Indiana Statehouse, including House Bill 1461, which offers a one-time $50 million infusion in 2027. However, Hornedo warns that these are temporary fixes for a permanent problem.
“Residents don’t care which level of government owns the road,” Hornedo said. “They just want it fixed. My job is to use every tool available—federal dollars, formula reform, and the platform of this office—to make that happen.”
The “Fix the Damn Roads” memo will serve as the campaign’s primary policy framework for the 7th District race, focusing on the intersection of infrastructure, economic vitality, and public safety.
