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Interstate 865

Interstate 865

The Northwest section of I-465 in Indianapolis, Indiana was renamed to I-865 in approximately 2001 to prevent I-465 from "intersecting with itself". This section was previously known as the "dog leg", and the mile markers ran from 900 to 905. This section of highway, however, was part of the original I-465, whereas the North-South section on the West side of Indianapolis was not (It was Indiana State Road 100, hence the existence of the Park 100 office complex in this vicinity). It was only after the latter was designated as part of I-465 that the confusing T intersection in which all three branches were I-465 arose. I-865 would more logically be named I-665, though officials decided against that as they figured it would be difficult for 9-1-1 operators to determine if a distressed motorist was saying "65" or "665". I-865 has no interchanges, other than its Eastern terminus at I-465 and its Western terminus at I-65. However, an interchange with Cooper Road may be built within the next few years.

Interstate 465

Interstate 465 (or I-465) is the beltway circling Indianapolis, Indiana. It is roughly rectangular in shape and has a perimeter of approximately 85 km (53 miles). It lies almost completely within the boundaries of Marion County, except for two short sections on the north end in Boone and Hamilton Counties. It crosses Interstates I-65, I-69, I-70, and I-74, and provides additional access to I-65 via spur I-865. It is a major access road to Indianapolis International Airport, located at the western I-70 crossing. An $800 million project is underway to refurbish the western edge of the loop, with an estimated completion in 2010. In 2002, David Letterman's late-night talk show sidekick and band leader Paul Shaffer was honored by having a street in Thunder Bay, Ontario named for him. This led Letterman to ask (on his program) why he couldn't have his own eponymous road, and he suggested I-465 be named the David Letterman Expressway. His fans took the idea seriously, especially in the Indianapolis area where highway signs promoting the idea were displayed. Advertisers and traffic reports started to refer to I-465 as the "DLX," or later the "David Letterman Bypass," a reference to his quintuple heart bypass surgery in January 2000. Letterman even telephoned the Mayor of Indianapolis, Bart Peterson to make his case, but eventually the idea went nowhere.

External links

- [http://www.ai.org/dot/div/projects/accelerate465/design/index.html Accelerate 465, the expansion project's web site]
- [http://home.insightbb.com/~neilrapp/dlx/ Unofficial David Letterman Expressway site] 65-4 65-4

Indiana

:This article is about the U.S. state. See also Indiana, Pennsylvania (U.S.) and Indiana, São Paulo (Brazil.) Indiana, meaning the "Land of the Indians," is a state of the United States of America. Its capital is Indianapolis. The U.S. postal abbreviation for the state is IN. A resident of Indiana is called a Hoosier (which is also the name used for a student of Indiana University, Bloomington). The USS Indiana was named in honor of this state.

History

The area of Indiana has been settled since before the development of the Hopewell culture (ca. 100–400 CE). It was part of the Mississippian culture from roughly 1000CE up to the conventional end of Mississippian dating ("contact with Europeans"). The specific Native American tribes that inhabited this territory at that time were primarily the Miami and the Shawnee. The area was claimed for New France in the 17th century, handed over to the Kingdom of Great Britain as part of the settlement at the end of the French and Indian War, given to the United States after the American Revolution, soon after which it became part of the Northwest Territory, then the Indiana Territory, and joined the Union in 1816 as the 19th state.

Law and Government

The current governor of Indiana is Mitch Daniels, whose campaign slogan was "My Man Mitch." He was elected to office on November 2, 2004. The state's U.S. senators are B. Evans "Evan" Bayh III (Democrat) and Richard G. Lugar (Republican). Indiana is considered by many to be one of the more conservative states in the Midwest. Since it supported Lyndon B. Johnson over Barry Goldwater in 1964, Indiana has not backed a single Democratic presidential candidate. However, half of Indiana's governors in the 20th century were Democrats. Former Governor and current U.S. Senator Evan Bayh is an all-but-announced canidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008. His middle-of-the-road record and attention to constituencies has been well-received by Indiana voters. His father was a three-term Senator with a liberal record.

Geography

Evan Bayh Indiana is bounded on the north by Lake Michigan and the state of Michigan, on the east by Ohio, on the south by Kentucky with which it shares the Ohio River as a border, and on the west by Illinois. Indiana is one of the Great Lakes states. The 475 mile long Wabash River bisects the state from northeast to southwest and has given Indiana two theme songs, the state song On the Banks of the Wabash as well as The Wabash Cannonball. The White River (a tributary of the Wabash, which is a tributary of the Ohio) zigzags through central Indiana. Indianapolis and Muncie are large cities on this river. Evansville, the third largest city in Indiana, is located on the Ohio River, which forms all of the Indiana-Kentucky border. Northern Indiana is mostly farmland; however, the northwest corner of the state is part of the greater metropolitan area of Chicago and is therefore more densely populated. Gary, a city on Lake Michigan, is effectively a suburb of Chicago, even though it is in Indiana. The Kankakee River, which winds through Northern Indiana, serves somewhat as a demarcating line between rural and suburban northwest Indiana. Southern Indiana is a mixture of farmland and forest. The Hoosier National Forest is a 200,000 acre nature preserve near Bedford. Southern Indiana generally contains more hills and geographic variation than the northern portion.

Economy

Hoosier National Forest The total gross state product in 2003 was $214 billion. Indiana's per capita income, as of 2003, was $28,783. Indiana is located well within the Corn Belt, and the state's agricultural methods and principal farm outputs reflect this: a feedlot-style system raising corn, to fatten hogs and cattle. Soybeans are also a major cash crop. The state's nearness to large urban centers, such as Chicago, Illinois, also assures that much dairying, egg production, and specialty horticulture occur. Specialty crops include melons (southern Wabash Valley), tomatoes (concentrated in central Indiana), grapes, and mint (Source: USDA crop profiles). In addition, Indiana is a significant producer of tobacco. It should be remembered that most of the original land was not prairie and had to be cleared of deciduous trees. Many isolated parcels of woodland remain, and much of the southern, hilly portion is heavily forested (a condition which supports a local furniture-making sector in that part of the state). A high percentage of Indiana's GDP comes from manufacturing. The Calumet region of northwest Indiana is the largest steel producing area in the USA, and this activity also requires that very large amounts of electric power be generated. Indiana's other manufactures include automobiles, electrical equipment, transportation equipment, chemical products, rubber, petroleum and coal products, and factory machinery. In addition, Indiana has the international headquarters of pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly as well as the headquarters of Mead Johnson Nutritionals, a division of Bristol-Myers Squibb. Bristol-Myers Squibb Despite it's reliance on manufacturing, Indiana has been much less hit by declines in traditional Rust Belt manufactures than many of its neighbors. The explanation appears to be certain factors in the labor market. First, much of the heavy manufacturing, such as industrial machinery and steel, requires highly skilled labor, and firms are often willing to locate where hard-to-train skills already exist. Second, Indiana's labor force is located primarily in medium-sized and smaller cities rather than in very large and expensive metropolises. This makes it possible for firms to offer, and labor accept, somewhat lower wages for these skills than would normally be paid. In other words, firms often see in Indiana a chance to obtain higher than average skills at lower than average wages for those skills, which often makes location in the state desirable. (Source for basic manufacturing facts in the above two paragraphs is generally McCoy and McNamara, "Manufacturers in Indiana," Purdue University Center for Rural Development, Research Paper 19, July 1998.) In mining Indiana is probably best known for its decorative limestone from the southern, hilly portion of the state, especially from around Bedford (the home area of Apollo I astronaut Gus Grissom). One of the many public buildings faced with this stone is The Pentagon, and after the attack of September 11, 2001, a special effort was made by the mining industry of Indiana to replace those damaged walls with as nearly identical type and cut of material as the original facing. There are also large coal mines in the southern portion of the state. Like most Great Lakes states Indiana has small to medium operating petroleum fields; the principal location of these today is in extreme southwest. Indiana's economy is considered to be one of the most business-friendly states in the U.S. This is due in part to it's conservative business climate, low business taxes, and many labor laws that have remained unchanged since the 1800s, emphasizing the supremacy of employer/management. The doctrine of at-will employment, where an employer can terminate an employee for any or no reason, is firmly ensconced in Indiana. Unions in Indiana are among the weakest in the U.S. and it is difficult for unions to organize. It has been said that Indiana is a post-industrial state with a pre-Industrial Revolution mindset regarding the rights of workers. With isolated exceptions in university areas such as Bloomington and Lafayette, technology has been slow to catch on in Indiana, in part to Hoosiers' traditional, well-known resistance to change. Most political leaders at the state level continue to emphasize the state's past economic base of manufacturing and farming.

Demographics

As of 2004, the population of Indiana was estimated to be 6,237,569. This includes about 229,000 foreign-born (3.7%). Racially, the state is:
- 85.8% White
- 8.4% Black
- 3.5% Hispanic
- 1% Asian
- 0.3% Native American
- 1.2% Mixed race The five largest ancestries in the state are: German (22.7%), American (12%), Irish (10.8%), English (8.9%), African American (8.4%). German is the largest ancestry reported in Indiana, with almost one-in-four whites reporting German ancestry in the Census. Persons of American and British ancestry are also present throughout the state, especially in the southern and central parts of the state. Gary and the surrounding Chicago suburbs, along with the city of Indianapolis, have large black populations. South Bend has a large Polish population and there are a sizeable number of people with Belgian ancestry in Mishawaka. Dyngus Day, the Polish celebration of the end of Lent, takes place on the Monday after Easter and is widely celebrated in South Bend. A large Hispanic/Latino population has swelled in Elkhart County, particularly the north side of the city of Goshen. This formerly German- and Dutch-dominated area now has a high concentration of Hispanic (particularly Mexican)-oriented businesses and many official signs in the area are bilingual. Population growth since 1990 has been extremely concentrated in the counties surrounding Indianapolis, with four of the top five fastest-growing counties in that area: Hamilton, Hendricks, Johnson, and Hancock. The other county is Dearborn County, which is near Cincinnati. Meanwhile, population decline has primarily been in a series of counties that geographically form a line between Logansport and Richmond. Most of these counties were at the heart of the Gas Belt. There were also three counties along the Wabash River and the Ohio River that experienced decline, these were Vigo, Knox, and Perry.

Religion

Religiously, Indiana is predominantly Protestant, although there is also a significant Roman Catholic population. The Catholic presence is perhaps better known than its size would imply due to the existence of the University of Notre Dame. Indiana is home to a moderate proportion of Mennonite and Amish Christians, particularly in Elkhart and LaGrange Counties in the north, and Parke County in the west, and the state has the nation's largest population of members of the Protestant "Churches of Christ" denomination. The current religious affiliations of the people of Indiana are shown below:
- Christian – 82%
- Protestant – 62%
- Baptist – 15%
- Methodist – 10%
- Lutheran – 6%
- Church of Christ – 5%
- Pentecostal – 3%
- Mennonite/Pietist – 1%
- Other Protestant – 23%
- Roman Catholic – 19%
- Other Christian – 1%
- Other Religions – 1%
- Non-Religious – 17%

Important Cities and Towns

Education

Colleges and Universities

Professional Sports Teams

Time Zones

Roman Catholic Most of Indiana has historically exempted itself from the observation of daylight saving time (DST). Some counties within this area, particularly Floyd, Clark, and Harrison counties near Louisville, Kentucky, and Ohio and Dearborn counties near Cincinnati, Ohio, observe daylight saving time unofficially and illegally by local custom. In addition, Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Newton, and Jasper counties in the nortwest and Gibson, Posey, Vanderburgh, Warrick, and Spencer counties in the southwest are in the Central time zone and remain subject to daylight saving time. The history of this unique arrangement is fairly convoluted. From 1918 until 1961, at which time authority under the various Standard Time Acts was in the Interstate Commerce Commission, the dividing line between Eastern and Central Standard Time was approximately the eastern boundary line of the State of Indiana. In 1961 after hearings, the Interstate Commerce Commission adjusted the boundary line between Eastern and Central so that the line essentially split Indiana down the middle. In 1967, the Governor of Indiana petitioned the United States Department of Transportation to have the entire state of Indiana placed on Central Time. Instead, the time line was fixed in a position where all but 10 counties in western Indiana were placed in the Eastern Time Zone, but dispensation was given to allow a state to exempt an entire time zone bloc within the state from observance of Daylight Saving Time. Technically, during the summer months, this meant most of Indiana was on Eastern Standard Time, but functionally most of the state was on Central Daylight Time. Due to this confusion, the state passed a bill in 2005 whereby the entire state is to begin observing daylight saving time starting in April 2006. Counties would remain under their current time zones, but the bill also asks the federal Department of Transportation, which has jurisdiction over time zones, to reconsider whether more counties should switch to the Central zone. The counties that petitioned for Central Time were St. Joseph, Starke, Marshall, Pulaski, Fulton, White, Cass, Benton and Carroll in the northern part of the state; Fountain and Vermillion counties in the central part of the state; and Sullivan, Knox, Daviess, Martin, Lawrence, Pike, Dubois, and Perry counties in the southern part of the state. As of October 25, 2005, the USDOT had tentatively proposed that only St. Joseph, Starke, Knox, Pike, and Perry Counties move from the Eastern to the Central time zone. [http://dms.dot.gov/search/document.cfm?documentid=360876&docketid=22114]

Miscellaneous Information

- State bird: Cardinal
- State flower: Peony
- State motto: "Crossroads of America."
- State poem: [http://www.in.gov/sic/about/emblems/state_poem.html Indiana], by Arthur Franklin Mapes
- State song: On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away
- State river: Wabash
- State stone: Salem limestone
- State tree: Tulip tree Indiana is the home state of a large number of astronauts, including such notables as "Gus" Grissom and Frank Borman. Many other astronauts, including Neil Armstrong and Gene Cernan, were graduates of Purdue University in West Lafayette ([http://www2.indystar.com/library/factfiles/history/space_program/hoosier_astronauts.html]). Neil Armstrong's Purdue class ring may be the only such object that has ever traveled to the moon and back.

Natural Resources

There are 24 Indiana state parks, nine man-made reservoirs, and hundreds of lakes in the state.

External Links

- [http://www.in.gov Indiana government home page] :
- [http://www.statelib.lib.in.us/www/ihb/emblems/index.html Indiana state emblems]
- [http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/18000.html U.S. Census Bureau]
- [http://www.usnewspapers.org/state/indiana Indiana Newspapers]
- Category:States of the United States ko:인디애나 주 ja:インディアナ州 simple:Indiana th:มลรัฐอินดีแอนา

Interstate 465

External links

Indianapolis

Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana. According to the 2000 Census, its population is 791,926, making it Indiana's most populous city and the 12th largest city in the U.S. The U.S. Census July 1, 2004 estimate for the Consolidated City of Indianapolis is 794,160 and the combined Metro Area (an agglomeration called the Nine-County Region) has a population approaching 2 million residents. Indianapolis is the third largest city in the midwest under Chicago and Detroit and is one of only three major cities in the midwest which had a growth rate above 5%. At the current rate, Indianapolis will be the second largest city in the midwest by 2010. Indianapolis is the county seat of Marion County. As of 2004, Marion County's population is 863,596.

History

Indianapolis was founded as the state capital in 1821 by an act of the Indiana General Assembly. Prior to its official founding, Indianapolis was a sparsely settled swampy area. The first European American settler is generally believed to be George Pogue, who on March 2, 1819 settled in a double log cabin along the White River in what is now White River State Park in downtown Indianapolis. The state commissioned Alexander Ralston to design the new capital city. Ralston was an apprentice to the French architect Pierre L'Enfant, and he helped L'Enfant plan Washington, DC. Ralston's original plan for Indianapolis called for a city of only 1 square mile. Under Ralston's plan, at the center of the city was placed the Governor's Circle, a large circular commons, which was to be the site of the Governor's mansion. It was used as a market commons for over six years. Although an expensive Governor's mansion was finally constructed in 1827, no Governor ever lived in the house at Governor's Circle, as the site in the city center lacked any privacy. The Governor's mansion was finally demolished in 1857. (See History of Indianapolis and Marion County Indiana by B.R. Sulgrove, 1884). Later, Governor's Circle became Monument Circle after the impressive 284-feet tall neoclassical limestone and bronze State Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, designed by German architect Bruno Schmitz, was completed on the site in 1901.

Transit Hub

While the city lies on the old east-west National Road, the portion of that road that crosses Indiana was not completed until a decade after the city's founding. Indianapolis was founded on the White River under the incorrect assumption that the river would serve as a major transportation artery; however, the waterway was too sandy for trade. Through the mid-1800s, a horse-drawn barge canal by-passed the river bringing goods into the city. The Central Canal was one of eight major infrastructure projects authorized by the state's Mammoth Improvement Bill of 1835. The Central Canal was intended to run 296 miles (476 km) from near Logansport, through Indianapolis, and to Evansville. The Central Canal was planned to connect the Wabash and Erie Canal to the Ohio River, completing a link between Lake Erie in the State of Ohio with the portion of the Ohio River flowing through southern Indiana in order to promote trade and commerce along its length. Construction of the Central Canal commenced in 1836, but Indiana went bankrupt in 1839 from the loans taken out under the aforementioned bill and all work on the project ceased. At the time, the 24 mile (39 km) portion of the Indianapolis section of the canal was dug and filled, but only an 8.29 mile (10 km) portion connecting downtown Indianapolis with the village of Broad Ripple to the north was ever operational. The portion of the completed Central Canal and adjoining White River have been turned into the White River State Park.[http://www.in.gov/whiteriver/about/index.html Park Website] The first railroad to service Indianapolis, the Madison & Indianapolis, began operation on October 1, 1847, and subsequent railroad connections enlarged the town. The population soared from just over 8,000 in 1850 to more than 169,000 by 1900. Later, the automobile, as in most American cities, caused a suburban explosion. With automobile companies as Duesenberg, Marmon, National, and Stutz, Indianapolis was a center of production rivaling Detroit, at least for a few years. The internationally renowned automobile races that take place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway every year are a notable residual from that booming industry at the beginning of the 20th century. With roads as the spokes of a wheel, Indianapolis was on its way to becoming a major "hub" of regional transport connecting to Chicago, Louisville, Cincinnati, Columbus and St. Louis. Today, four interstate roads intersect in Indianapolis: routes 65, 69, 70, and 74. The city is a major trucking center, and the extensive network of highways has allowed Indianapolis to enjoy a relatively low amount of traffic congestion for a city its size. 74]

Economic and Political Development

Indianapolis entered a period of great prosperity at the beginning of the 20th century, and during this time the city witnessed great economic, social, and cultural progress. Much of this was due to the discovery of a large natural gas deposit in central Indiana in the 1890s. The state government offered a free supply of natural gas to factories that were built there. This led to a sharp increase in industries such as glass and automobile manufacturing. However, the natural gas deposits were depleted by 1915, and this contributed to an abrupt end of the golden era.

Racial Relations

A darker period of Indianapolis history began with the rise of the second Ku Klux Klan movement in the United States. The Indiana chapter of the Klan was founded in 1920 and quickly became the most powerful Klan organization in the United States. In 1922, D. C. Stephenson was appointed the Klan Grand Dragon of Indiana and 22 other states; he promptly moved the Indiana Klan's headquarters to Indianapolis, which was already coming under the Klan's influence. The Klan became the most powerful political and social organization in the city during the period from 1921 through 1928. The Klan continued to solidify its stronghold on the state, taking over the Indiana Republican Party and using its new political might to establish a Klan-backed slate of candidates which swept state elections in 1924. The elections allowed the Klan to seize control of the Indiana General Assembly and place the corrupt Governor Edward Jackson in office. By then, more than 40 percent of the native-born white males in Indianapolis claimed membership in the Klan. Klan-backed candidates took over the City Council, the Board of School Commissioners, and the Board of County Commissioners. Through the Klan, Stephenson ruled over the State of Indiana, leading a powerful national movement set on gaining control of the United States Congress and the White House. However, the power of the Klan would quickly begin to crumble after Stephenson was convicted at the end of 1925 for the rape and murder of a young Indianapolis woman, Madge Oberholtzer. Following Stephenson's conviction, the Klan suffered a tremendous blow and quickly lost influence. When Governor Jackson refused to pardon Stephenson, he retaliated by going public with information of corruption which brought down several politicians throughout Indiana. The Mayor of Indianapolis and several local officials were convicted of bribery and jailed. Governor Jackson was indicted on charges of bribery, but he was acquitted in 1928 because the statute of limitations had run out; he completed his term in disgrace. The Klan continued to dwindle in popularity in Indiana and nationwide, and the national organization officially disbanded in 1944. Years later, Indianapolis would witness an historic moment in the Civil Rights Movement. On April 4, 1968, while on route to a presidential campaign rally in Indianapolis, Robert F. Kennedy would learn of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. earlier that day. Kennedy would deliver an impromptu speech on race reconciliation to a mostly African-American crowd in a poor inner-city Indianapolis neighborhood. While rioting broke out in cities across the United States following the news of King's assassination, Indianapolis was the only major city where rioting did not occur. Martin Luther King Jr.

Unigov

As the result of a 1970 consolidation between city and county government (known as "Unigov"), the city of Indianapolis merged most government services with those of the county. For the most part, this resulted in a unification of Indianapolis with its immediate suburbs. Four communities within Marion County (Beech Grove, Lawrence, Southport and Speedway) are partially outside of the Unigov arrangement. Also, 11 other communities (called "included towns") are legally included in the Consolidated City of Indianapolis under Unigov, per Indiana Code 36-3-1-4 sec. 4(a)(2), which states that the Consolidated City of Indianapolis includes the entire area of Marion County, except the four previously mentioned "excluded" communities. The 11 "included towns" elected to retain their "town status" under Unigov as defined according to the Indiana Constitution (there were originally 14, but 3 later dissolved), but the Indiana Constitution does not define "town status." These "included towns" are fully subject to the laws and control of the Consolidated City of Indianapolis, but some still impose a separate property tax and provide police and other services under contract with township or county government or the City of Indianapolis. Additionally, throughout Marion County certain local services such as schools, fire and police remain unconsolidated. However, the mayor of Indianapolis is also the mayor of all of Marion County, and the City-County Council sits as the legislative body for all of Marion County. Currently, Indianapolis is undergoing serious internal debate over how much, or whether, more of local taxation, government, and services should be further integrated. Further consolidation of city and county services and functions would require passage of new legislation by the Indiana General Assembly. Initially proposed by the current Mayor, Bart Peterson, a bill was introduced in the 2005 legislative session of the General Assembly which would have further consolidated local government in the City of Indianapolis and Marion County. After a very contentious and partisan debate, the Assembly passed an extremely watered-down version off the original bill; the final enacted legislation consolidates budgetary functions of the City and County, permits the Indianapolis City-County Council to vote to consolidate the Indianapolis Police Department and the Marion County Sheriff's Department, and theoretically permits consolidation of the Indianapolis Fire Department with township fire departments based upon approval of all affected parties. Speedway

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, "the balance" (that part of Marion County not part of another municipality) has a total area of 953.5 km² (368.2 mi²). 936.2 km² (361.5 mi²) of it is land and 17.3 km² (6.7 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.81% water. These figures are bit misleading because they do not represent the entire Consolidated City of Indianapolis (all of Marion County, except the four "excluded" communities). The total area of the Consolidated City of Indianapolis, which does not count the four "excluded" communities, covers approximately 966.3 km² (373.1 mi²). At the center of Indianapolis is the One-Mile Square, bounded by East, West, North, and South Streets. At the center of the Square is Monument Circle, a traffic circle at the intersection of Meridian and Market Streets, featuring the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. (Monument Circle is depicted on the city’s flag, and is generally considered the city’s symbol.) Four diagonal streets pass through the corners of the Square but stop one to five blocks (depending on the street) before reaching the Circle. Nearly all of the streets in the One-Mile Square are named after U.S. states. (The street-numbering system centers not on the Circle, but rather one block to the south, where Meridian Street intersects Washington Street — National Road.)

Demographics

Note: The statistical data in this article represents the entire consolidated Indianapolis-Marion County metropolitan government. For statistical data on the portion of the governmental area that is Indianapolis only (i.e., not counting included towns), see Indianapolis (balance), Indiana. As of the census of 2000, there were 791,926 people, 320,107 households, and 192,704 families residing in the city, but the metropolitan population was nearing 1.5 million. The population density was 835.1/km² (2,163.0/mi²). There were 352,429 housing units at an average density of 376.4/km² (975.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the balance was 69.09% white, 25.50% black or African American, 0.25% Native American, 1.43% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.04% from other races, and 1.64% from two or more races. 3.92% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. The majority of the non-white population lives in the central and north portions of the inner-city area. There are 320,107 households out of which 29.8% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.6% are married couples living together, 15.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 39.8% are non-families. 32.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.39 and the average family size is 3.04. The age distribution is: 25.7% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 32.9% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 90.2 males. The median income for a household in the balance is $40,051, and the median income for a family is $48,755. Males have a median income of $36,302 versus $27,738 for females. The per capita income is $21,640. 11.9% of the population and 9.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 16.2% of those under the age of 18 and 8.1% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line. The following are statements of the populations of Indianapolis, Indiana from 1850 to 1940: 1850, 8,091; 1860, 18,611; 1870, 48,244; 1880, 75,056; 1890, 105,436; 1900, 169,164; 1910, 233,650. The population in 1910 included 19,767 foreign born and 21,816 negroes. In 1920, 314,194 people lived here, and in 1940, 386,972. 1940

Cultural features

Indianapolis prides itself on its rich cultural heritage. Several initiatives have been made by the Indianapolis government in recent years to increase Indianapolis' appeal as a destination for arts and culture. The city has designated several areas as "Cultural Districts": Indiana Avenue, Broad Ripple Village, The Canal & White River State Park, Fountain Square, Massachusetts Avenue, and The Wholesale District.

Massachusetts Avenue

Located just a few blocks northeast of Monument Circle, Massachusetts Avenue was designed in 1821 as one of Downtown's four original diagonal streets. It began as a commercial area that mainly served the surrounding residential area. The Avenue gained popularity as service-oriented businesses sprung up with the development of streetcar lines. Positioned along several streetcar and interurban routes, the Avenue was a continuously growing between 1870 and 1930. Bernard Vonnegut, grandfather of author Kurt Vonnegut, and Arthur Bohn designed the Athenaeum in 1893 as a home for German societies in Indianapolis to gather. Both were American-born sons of German immigrants, a culture that had a strong influence in the area around this time. Following these many years of good fortune and commercial growth, "Mass Ave", along with all of downtown, hit a downward spiral. Currently, the redevelopment of "Mass Ave" is focused on developing on independently owned restaurants, theatres and shops. Kurt Vonnegut

Canal and White River State Park

The long defunct Central Canal located in Indianapolis was refurbished and re-opened as a city recreational area. This new incarnation was inspired by Venetian canals. Gradually, cultural attractions were built along the Canal in the 1990s. The north end of the Canal is now home to a burgeoning bio-sciences initiative, anchored by a state-certified technology park. An extension of the Canal into the heart of the growing White River State Park was completed in 1996. The extension was part of a $20 million infrastructure improvement project that included renovation of the Old Washington Street Bridge, built in 1916 as part of the National Road, into a pedestrian crossing that links park attractions.

Indiana Avenue

In 1870, more African-Americans were calling Indiana Avenue home as the original Irish and German populations began to move outward. The population had risen to 974 residents, more than one-third of the city's total African-American population. As the population escalated, African-American residents remained and opened more and more businesses. Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, the oldest African-American congregation in Indianapolis, was organized in 1836. The first African-American businesses appeared on the 500 Block of Indiana Avenue as early as 1865: Samuel G. Smother's grocery store; William Franklin's peddler shop and the city's first African-American-owned newspaper, The Indianapolis Leader in 1879. The Avenue continued to culturally develop, in much the same was as the Harlem Renaissance. Many prominent historical figures have their roots on Indiana Avenue: Madam C.J. Walker, jazz greats including Freddie Hubbard, Jimmy Coe, Noble Sissle, Erroll "Groundhog" Grandy and Wes Montgomery. Mary Ellen Cable was one of the most important African-American educators in Indianapolis. She also organized and was the first president of Indiana's first NAACP chapter. However, by the late 1950s, the African-American middle class had begun to leave Indiana Avenue for northwestern Marion County, settling in Pike and Washington townships. The Walker Building was shut down in 1965, removing a vital economic anchor for the area. By the early 1970s, Indiana Avenue was suffering from severe urban blight. By the 1980s, much of the area was demolished and replaced by office buildings or townhouses, although the Walker Building was re-opened in 1988 as a theatre. While no longer a blighted zone, Indiana Avenue's legacy now consists of a few historic buildings and a plaque. 1988

Fountain Square

Fountain Square is a neighborhood on the southeast side of the city located approximately 1.5 miles from downtown and centered at the intersection of Virginia Avenue and Shelby Street. A center of commerce for more than 100 years, the historic community is undergoing a period of rebirth and restoration, and is emerging as an ethnic and arts center in the city. Originally, all of the land was owned by one farmer and was used as a working apple orchard. Over time, plots were sold off and houses were built. The neighborhood was economically strong for many decades, but now suffers from a high unemployment rate and increasing crime and drug problems. In the 1970's, the state of Indiana built the I-65 interstate through Indianapolis, severing Fountain Square from the city proper, resulting in a period of decline. Currently, there are a number of neighborhood development corporations and community groups working to revitalize the area with increasing success.

Broad Ripple Village

The Village has gone through great transformations and turmoil. The area once had a gristmill, an amusement park, a jail, ice houses, steamship cruises and more. Broad Ripple Village suffered through many floods, fires and explosions, but always overcame adversity and rebuilt itself. Broad Ripple Park had its beginning in 1822. The grand White City Amusement Park, opened on its grounds in 1906, was in business for many years, even rebuilding after a disastrous fire in 1908. Today, Indy Parks and Recreation runs the park, offering multiple classes, family activities, outdoor swimming and a [http://www.indybarkpark.org dog park]. Today, Broad Ripple has one of the most active social scenes in Indianapolis as well as a large number of private art galleries and independently owned restaurants. It is also the home of the Indianapolis alternative newspaper Nuvo.

Wholesale District

Around the turn of the century Indianapolis had one of the largest networks of railroads in the nation and hundreds of trains passed through Union Station daily, the streets local to the station were lined with businesses, hotels, warehouses, retail shops and more. Wholesale grocers sold fresh goods daily before the advent of the modern grocery store. The district had many such grocers, but also wholesalers who sold dry and finished goods. The House of Crane, whose facade remains part of Circle Centre, sold cigars; Hanson, VanCamp & Co. sold hardware. In addition, South Delaware Street became known as Commission Row, where farmers brought their produce to merchants who sold the goods for a commission fee. The Wholesale District was of primary importance in the transformation of Indianapolis from small town to big city. No longer did shoppers have to rely on retailers who sold finished goods shipped from Louisville or Cincinnati. They could now go to a central location and buy the same items at wholesale prices. With Union Station nearby, wholesalers could ship goods more cheaply and more easily. Unfortunately, the Great Depression devastated the area and few businesses remained. Since 1995, more than $686 million has been invested in the area, transforming it into the city's premier arts and entertainment district. Recent additions, more than 35 new businesses, include Circle Centre, Conseco Fieldhouse, and a number of upscale restaurants.

Sports

Indianapolis is the home of the Indianapolis Indians, a minor league baseball team in the International League, the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association, the Indiana Fever of the Women's National Basketball Association, and the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. In addition, the headquarters of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the main governing body for U.S. college sports, is in Indianapolis. Starting with the 2006 event, the NCAA will hold the Final Four (the semifinals and final of the men's basketball tournament) in Indianapolis every four years. The city has been referred to as "The Amateur Sports Capital of the World". Indianapolis has a large municipal park system, including Eagle Creek Park, one of the largest municipal parks in the nation. In 1987 Indianapolis played host to the Pan American Games.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Indianapolis is most noted for the largest single-day sporting event in the world: The Indianapolis 500 which is held at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, is the site of the Indianapolis 500, an open-wheel automobile race held each Memorial Day weekend on the 2.5 mile (4 km) oval track. The track is often referred to as "the Brickyard," as it was paved with 3.2 million bricks shortly after its initial construction in 1909. Today the track is paved in asphalt, although there remains a yard of bricks at the start/finish line. The first 500-Mile Race (804.7 km), held in 1911, was won by driver Ray Harroun driving a Marmon Wasp. (Marmon, incidentally, was an Indianapolis manufacturer.) The "500" is currently part of the Indy Racing League series. The Speedway also hosts the NASCAR Allstate 400 at The Brickyard stock car race, still generally referred to by its former name of the "Brickyard 400" (currently scheduled in August), and the Formula 1 U.S. Grand Prix (recently moved from September to June). Smaller series host races at nearby Indianapolis Raceway Park. As measured by the number of fans in attendance (estimated at close to 300,000), the Indianapolis 500 is largest annual single-day sporting events in the world.

Festivals

Beginning in 1999 the city became host to the annual Indy Jazz Festival. The festival is a three day event held in Military Park near the canal. Past stars have included B.B. King, Aretha Franklin, Bruce Hornsby, Bela Fleck & The Flecktones, Kool and the Gang, Ray Charles, The Temptations, Dave Brubeck, Emmylou Harris, Chris Isaak, Jonny Lang, Norah Jones and regional and local favorites such as Jennie DeVoe, Cathy Morris and Buselli Wallarab Jazz Orchestra. Indianapolis is also home to the Indiana State Fair. St. Joan of Arc school holds a French Market every September with raffles, food, live music, and free admission. Every May Indianapolis holds the 500 Festival, a month of events culminating in the Indianapolis 500 Festival Parade and the running of the Indy 500. Circle City Classic - The Coca-Cola Circle City Classic enters its third decade as one of America’s top football classics and favorite weekend celebrations. While the name and the quality of the game remains the same, the weekend has gained a name of its own, The American Family Insurance Classic Weekend featuring the Coca-Cola Circle City Classic. The football game is the showcase event as it features some of the best rivalries in black college football. The weekend is a celebration of cultural excellence and educational achievement while showcasing the spirit, energy and tradition of America’s historically black colleges and universities. Over 175,000 spectators visit downtown Indianapolis for this historic event.

Museums

- Children's Museum of Indianapolis
- Colonel Eli Lilly Civil War Museum
- Conner Prairie
- Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians & Western Art
- Indiana State Museum
- Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum
- Indianapolis Museum of Art

Points of interest

- Lockerbie Square
- Butler University
- Garfield Park Conservatory and Sunken Gardens
- Holcomb Gardens
- Slippery Noodle Inn
- White River Gardens
- Indianapolis Zoo

Local media

The Indianapolis Star is the most widely-read daily newspaper in the city. It is owned by Gannett. Other popular publications include Nuvo Newsweekly, Indianapolis Monthly, Indy Men's Magazine and IndyScribe. Gannett also publishes a weekly newspaper called The Topics that focuses on local and community-related news for northern Indianapolis and the surounding suburbs. Indianapolis is served by the following major local broadcast Television stations:
- WTTV —Channel 4, a WB affiliate
- WRTV —Channel 6, an ABC affiliate
- WISH —Channel 8, a CBS affiliate
- WTHR —Channel 13, an NBC affiliate
- WIIH —Channel 17, a Univision affiliate (Spanish speaking)
- WFYI —Channel 20, a PBS member station
- WNDY —Channel 23, a UPN affiliate
- WXIN —Channel 59, a FOX affiliate
- WDNI —Channel 65, IMC- Indy's Music Channel, plays a variety of music videos In radio, The Bob & Tom Show, syndicated across the United States, airs from Indianapolis.

Education

Indianapolis is the home of Butler University, the University of Indianapolis, Marian College, Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana, and Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis. The last was originally an urban conglomeration of branch campuses of the two major state universities, Indiana University in Bloomington and Purdue University in West Lafayette, created by the state legislature. A merged campus created downtown in 1969 at the site of the Indiana University School of Medicine has continuously grown, with a student body today of just under 30,000, the third-largest campus in the state. Indianapolis has eleven unified public school districts (eight township educational authorities and three legacy districts from before the unification of city and county government) each of which provides primary, secondary, and adult education services within its boundaries. The boundaries of these districts do not exactly correspond to township (or traditional) boundaries due to political concerns and the influence of a 1971 federal court ruling which held that the Indianapolis public schools were unlawfully segregated. Indianapolis also has several Roman Catholic high schools, including Brebeuf High School, Bishop Chatard High School, Cathedral High School, Roncalli High School, Scecina Memorial High School, and Cardinal Ritter High School.

Transportation

Airports
- Indianapolis International Airport serves Indianapolis and Marion County. Highways
- Six Major Interstates serve the Indianapolis area including I-70, I-74, I-65, I-69, I-465 Beltway, and I-865 Connector. Transit
- Central Indiana Commuter Services (CICS) funded by IndyGo to reduce pollution serves Indianapolis and surrounding counties.

Law & Government

Until the 1990's, Indianapolis was considered to be one of the most conservative metropolitan areas in the country compared to other major U.S. cities. For thirty six years Republicans dominated city/county government, thirty two of which were at the mayor's office. In 1999, Democrat Bart Peterson defeated Republican Secretary of State Sue Anne Gilroy, fifty two percent to forty one percent, respectively. Four years later, Peterson won in a landslide with sixty three percent of the vote. However, Republicans lost control of the City-County Council by just thirteen votes -- the first time Democrats seized control since the inception of Unigov. In 2004, Democratic power increased yet again in Marion County as the offices of Marion County Treasurer, Surveyor and Coroner swung their way, also the first time since Unigov. Republicans still claim other county offices such as Prosecutor, Auditor, Clerk and Recorder.

Other facts

The most common nickname for Indianapolis is ‘Indy’. Other nicknames include ‘Circle City’ (after Monument Circle) and ‘Naptown’ (presumably shortened from ‘IndiaNAPolis’, but often taken derogatorily to mean "sleepy" or "boring"). Both of the United States Navy ships named USS Indianapolis were named for this city. Indianapolis is the international headquarters of the pharmaceutical corporation Eli Lilly and Company, the US headquarters of Roche Diagnostics and Thomson SA, and the world headquarters of Dow AgroSciences. Indianapolis' Union Station, one of the busiest rail depots in its time, employed a young Thomas Edison as a telegraph operator. The mayor of Indianapolis (as of 2005) is Bart Peterson. Past mayors include Steve Goldsmith (R), Peterson's predecessor 1992-1999, Bill Hudnut (R), 1976-91, and U.S. Senator Dick Lugar (R), who served 1968-1975. Indianapolis is the second most populous capital city in the United States (including Washington, DC), after Phoenix, Arizona. Television sitcom One Day at a Time was set in Indianapolis. The opening credits of the show include a shot of the Pyramids, a set of distinctive office buildings located near the northern edge of the city. Men Behaving Badly, and CBS's 2005 drama Close to Home were also set in Indianapolis.

Sister cities

Indianapolis has five sister cities, as designated by [http://www.sister-cities.org/ Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI)]: Cologne (Germany), Monza (Italy), Scarborough/Toronto (Ontario, Canada), Piran (Slovenia), and Taipei (Taiwan).

External links

- [http://www.indygov.org/home.htm IndyGov] - Official city government website
- [http://www.indianapolisrecorder.com/ Indianapolis Recorder] (Local weekly, focuses on African-American issues)
- [http://www.indystar.com/ The Indianapolis Star] ("Local" daily, owned by Gannett)
- [http://www.intakeweekly.com/ INtake] (Local weekly, concentrates on nightlife and other activities: Subsidiary of The Indianapolis Star)
- [http://www.fcindiana.com/ FC Indiana] (Women's Premier Soccer League team)
- [http://www.nuvo.net/ Nuvo] (Local weekly, concentrates on arts and entertainment)
- [http://www.topics.com/ Northside Topics] (Local weekly, concentrates on northern Marion County and the northern communities of the Nine-County Region)
- [http://www.ss-times.com/ Southside Times] (Local weekly, concentrates on southern Marion County and Greenwood, Indiana)
- [http://www.ibj.com/ Indianapolis Business Journal] (Local business weekly)
- [http://www.sagamore.iupui.edu/ The Sagamore] (IUPUI campus paper)
- [http://dawgnet.butler.edu/ Butler Collegian] (Butler University campus paper)
- [http://reflector.uindy.edu/ The Reflector] (University of Indianapolis campus paper)
- [http://captaincorruption.blogspot.com/ Captain Corruption's Cracked Commentary] (One of many blogs run by Indianapolis residents)
- [http://www.indyscribe.com/ IndyScribe] (An independent online magazine about Indianapolis)
- [http://www.childrensmuseum.org/ Children's Museum of Indianapolis]
- [http://www.ima-art.org/ The Indianapolis Museum of Art]
- [http://www.indianapolismusic.net/ Indianapolis Music.Net] (Not-for-profit website promoting local music)
- [http://www.circlecitylinks.com/ Circle City Links] (Directory of links to other local websites)
- [http://www.mswoods.com/indianapolis/ Indianapolis Photo Tour!] Interesting photos of Indianapolis Category:Cities in Indiana Indianapolis, Indiana Category:Marion County, Indiana Category:U.S. state capitals ja:インディアナポリス

Indiana

History

Law and Government

Geography

Economy

Demographics

Religion

Important Cities and Towns

Education

Colleges and Universities

Professional Sports Teams

Time Zones

Miscellaneous Information

Natural Resources

There are 24 Indiana state parks, nine man-made reservoirs, and hundreds of lakes in the state.

External Links

Interstate 465

External links

9-1-1

9-1-1 (nine-one-one) is the emergency telephone number for the North American Numbering Plan (NANP). It is one of eight N11 codes.

Development of 9-1-1

The push for the development of a nationwide emergency telephone number came in 1957 when the National Association of Fire Chiefs recommended a single number to be used for reporting fires. In 1967 the President's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice recommended the creation of a single number that can be used nationwide for reporting emergencies. The burden then fell on the Federal Communications Commission, which then met with AT&T in November 1967 in order to come up with a solution. In 1968, a solution was agreed upon. AT&T had chosen the number 911, which met the requirements that it be brief, easy to remember, dialed easily, and that it worked well with the phone systems in place at the time. How the number 911 itself was chosen is not well known and is subject to much speculation. However, many feel that the number 911 was chosen to be similar to the numbers 2-1-1 (long distance), 4-1-1 (information, later called "directory assistance"), and 6-1-1 (repair service), which had already been in use by AT&T since 1966. Furthermore, the North American Numbering Plan in use at the time established rules for which numbers can be used for area codes and exchanges. At the time, the middle digit of an area code had to be either a 0 or 1, and the first two digits of an exchange could not be a 1. At the telephone switching station, the second dialed digit was used to determine if the number was long distance or local. If the number had a 0 or 1 as the second digit, it was long distance, and it was a local call if it was any other number. Thus, since the number 911 was detected by the switching equipment as a special number, it could be routed appropriately. Also, since 911 was a unique number, never having been used as an area code or service code (although at one point GTE used test numbers such as 11911), it fit into the phone system easily. Just 35 days after AT&T's announcement of 9-1-1 as their choice of the three-digit emergency number, on February 16, 1968, the first-ever 9-1-1 call was placed by Alabama Speaker of the House Rankin Fite from Haleyville, Alabama City Hall to U.S. Rep. Tom Bevill (Dem.) at the city's police station. Bevill reportedly answered the phone with "Cock!" Attending with Fite was Haleyville mayor James Whitt. At the police station with Bevill was Gallagher and Alabama Public Service Commission director Eugene "Bull" Connor (formerly the Birmingham police chief involved in federal desegregation of the city's schools). Fitzgerald was at the ATC central office serving Haleyville, and actually observed the call pass through the switching gear, as the mechanical equipment clunked out "9-1-1." The phone used to answer the first 911 call, a bright red model, is now in a museum in Haleyville, while a duplicate phone is still in use at the police station. Some accounts of the event claim that, "Later, the two (Bevill and Fite) said they exchanged greetings, hung up and 'had coffee and doughnuts.'" In 1973, the White House urged nationwide adoption of 911. In 1999, President Bill Clinton signed the bill that designated 911 as the nationwide emergency number. Even though 9-1-1 was introduced in 1968, the network did not completely cover the United States and Canada until the late 1990s.

Funding of 9-1-1

9-1-1 and enhanced 9-1-1 are typically funded pursuant to state laws that impose monthly fees on local and wireless telephone customers. Depending on the state, counties and cities may also levy a fee, which may be in addition to, or in lieu of, the state fee. The fees are collected by local exchange and wireless carriers through monthly surcharges on customer telephone bills. The collected fees are remitted to 911 administrative bodies, which may be a statewide 911 board, the state public utility commission, a state revenue department, or local 911 agencies. These agencies disburse the funds to the Public Safety Answering Points for 911 purposes as specified in the various statutes. Telephone companies, including wireless carriers, may be entitled to apply for and receive reimbursements for costs of compliance with federal and state laws requiring that their networks be compatible with 9-1-1 and enhanced 9-1-1. The amount of the fees vary widely by state and locality. Fees may range from around $.25 per month to $3.00 per month per line. The average wireless 9-1-1 fee is around $.72. Since the monthly fees do not vary by the customer's usage of the network, the fees are considered, in tax terms, as highly "regressive", i.e., the fees disproportionately burden low-volume users of the public switched network (PSN) as compared with high-volume users. Some states cap the number of lines subject to the fee for large multi-line businesses, thereby shifting more of the fee burden to low-volume single-line residential customers or wireless customers. Congress in 2004 authorized $250,000,000 in annual funding for the 9-1-1 program, but actual appropriations to state and local 9-1-1 agencies are yet to occur.

Locating callers automatically

Main article: Enhanced 911 Enhanced 911 In over 93% of locations in the United States and Canada, dialing "911" from any telephone will link the caller to an emergency dispatch center—called a PSAP, or Public Safety Answering Point, by the telecom industry—which can send emergency responders to the caller's location in an emergency. In some areas enhanced 911 is available, which automatically gives dispatch the caller's location, if available. Dialing 9-1-1 from a mobile phone in the United States originally reached the state police or highway patrol, instead of the local public safety answering point (PSAP). The caller had to describe his/her exact location so that the agency could transfer the call to the correct local emergency services. This happens because the exact location of the cellular phone isn't normally transmitted with the voice call. In 2000 the FCC issued an Order requiring wireless carriers to determine and transmit the location of callers who dial 9-1-1. They set up a phased program: Phase I transmitted the location of the receiving antenna for 9-1-1 calls, while Phase II transmitted the location of the calling telephone. The Order set up certain accuracy requirements and other technical details, and milestones for completing the implementation of wireless location services. Subsequent to the FCC's Order, many wireless carriers requested waivers of the milestones, and the FCC granted many of them. As of mid-2005, the process of Phase II implementation is generally underway, but limited by the complexity of coordination required between wireless carriers, PSAPs, local telephone companies and other affected government agencies, and the limited funding available to local agencies for the conversion of PSAP equipment to display the location data (usually on computerized maps). These FCC rules require new mobile phones to provide their latitude and longitude to emergency operators in the event of a 911 call. Carriers may choose whether to implement this via GPS chips in each phone, or via triangulation between cell towers. In addition, the rules require carriers to connect 911 calls from any mobile phone, regardless of whether that phone is currently active. If the phone is not active there are other ways to track the location. In the U.S., FCC rules require every telephone that can physically access the network to be able to dial 911, regardless of any reason that normal service may have been disconnected (including non-payment). On wired (land line) phones, this usually is accomplished by a "soft" dial tone, which sounds normal, but will only allow emergency calls. Often, an unused and unpublished phone number will be issued to the line so that it will work properly. If 911 is dialed from a commercial VoIP service, depending on how the provider handles such calls, the call may not go anywhere at all, or it may go to a non-emergency number at the public safety answering point associated with the billing or service address of the caller. Because a VoIP adapter can be plugged into any broadband internet connection, the caller could actually be hundreds or even thousands of miles away from home, yet if the call goes to an answering point at all, it would be the one associated with the caller's address and not the actual location. It may never be possible to accurately pinpoint the exact location of a VoIP user (even if a GPS receiver is installed in the VoIP adapter, it will likely be indoors, and may not be able to get a signal), so users should be aware of this limitation and make other arrangements for summoning assistance in an emergency. In March 2005, commercial Internet telephony provider Vonage was sued by the Texas attorney general, who alleged that their website and other sales and service documentation did not make clear enough that Vonage's provision of 911 service was not done in the traditional manner. In May 2005 the FCC issued an Order requiring VoIP providers to offer 9-1-1 service to all their subscribers within 120 days of the Order being published. The Order has set off anxiety among many VoIP providers, who feel it will be too expensive and require them to adopt solutions that won't support future VoIP products.

Problems

There are some problems with the assignment of the number 9-1-1. In particular, it can cause some dialing-pattern problems in hotels and businesses. Some hotels, for example, have been known to require dialling "91+" to make an outside call. This leads to calls that look like 91+1+301+555+2368. Since that's a valid number, which starts with 911, and is not a call to an emergency service, a timeout becomes necessary on actual calls to 911. Such prefixes are strongly discouraged by telephone companies. This is also part of the reason why no area codes start with a "1": the slightly less troublesome "outside line" prefix of "9+" would then cause the same problem: "9+114+555+2368", for example. Another possible problem is that the international phone code for India is "91", and sometimes calls meant for India end up at the local emergency dispatch office. And in Germany, the domestic area code "0911" is reserved for the town of Nürnberg (Nuremberg) - in European countries with an open