The mission of the Central Time Coalition is to promote the allocation of available sunlight and darkness in a manner that provides the greatest peace, safety and well-being to the citizens of Indiana. This mission will be accomplished when Indiana is restored to its geographically correct Central Time Zone.

CITIZEN PETITION IN SUPPORT OF

RESTORING INDIANA TO THE CENTRAL TIME ZONE

When US time zones were established by the railroads in 1883 and officially adopted by Congress in 1918, all of Indiana was correctly designated in the Central Time Zone. In the 1960s, perceived advantages to Indiana’s commerce prompted moving portions of Indiana to the Eastern Time Zone. Today, those advantages are no longer valid. Eastern Time is now an obsolete time zone designation for Indiana that is creating inconveniences for Indiana’s commerce and causing consequences that are detrimental to the welfare of its citizens.

Having Indiana split into two time zones (20% living in the Central Zone and 80% living in the Eastern Zone) is divisive for Indiana’s citizens. It causes inconveniences and confusion that are costly for commerce and for citizens (missed meetings, missed deadlines, missed deliveries, etc.)

The time zone boundary splits 17 adjacent Indiana counties. This causes difficulties for scheduling events (school, athletic, social, church, civic, etc.) and for thousands of families that live in one time zone while the parents work in the adjacent time zone.

Eastern Time causes an unbalanced sunlight schedule that is one hour out of sync with our civil clocks in the winter and two hours out of sync the remaining eight months. The result is excessively late sunrises and excessively late sunsets.

• Excessive morning darkness is unsafe for students waiting for their school buses, walking and driving to school, as well as for morning commuters.

• Late sunsets diminished many darkness dependent experiences that are part of Indiana’s cultural heritage – July 4th fireworks, evening concerts, youth and family camping, campfires, seeing the stars.

• Late sunsets make bedtime difficult and often result in sleep deprived students who are not alert, and frequently not prepared, when they arrive at school.

Research indicates that Eastern Time’s sunlight schedule is detrimental to educational achievement in Indiana. Experts know that our biological clock is set by the sunlight/darkness schedule and it dictates readiness to perform, as well as to sleep. Students and adults perform tasks best and learn best when civil clocks are in sync with human biological clocks.

The US middle time zones are the most conveniently located for conducting business within the US. Eastern Time’s 3-hour time difference with businesses and consumers on the West Coast is a deterrent to conducting business with Indiana companies. Indiana is not taking advantage of its natural Central Time Zone location.  Indiana's motto is the Crossroad's of America.  Let's make that motto ring true with a Central time zone designation.