Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation

Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation (IndyGo)
Founded January 7, 1975 (1975-01-07)
Headquarters 1501 West Washington Street
Indianapolis, Indiana 46222
Locale Indianapolis, Indiana
Service area Indianapolis–Marion County, Indiana
Service type bus service, paratransit, bus rapid transit (planned)
Routes 31
Stops 4,000
Hubs Julia M. Carson Transit Center
Stations 28 (planned)[1]
Fleet 168
Annual ridership 8,754,767 (FY 2017)[2]
Fuel type Diesel and Diesel-Electric Hybrid
Operator City of Indianapolis
Chief executive Michael A. Terry
Website www.indygo.net

The Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation, branded as IndyGo, is a municipal corporation of the City of Indianapolis in the U.S. state of Indiana. IndyGo has managed and operated the city's public bus transit system since 1975.

History

IndyGo's history begins in 1953 when the city's streetcar system was converted to bus routes, most of which followed the same routes as used by the streetcars. The city of Indianapolis took over public transportation in 1975 and established the Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation to administer bus services. The corporation originally operated buses under the name Metro Bus; the IndyGo name was adopted in 1996. Portions of the system were briefly privatized in the 1990s, but the move proved unpopular, and all operations were ultimately taken over by the city.

IndyGo has seen a near-constant trend of decreasing ridership since the 1970s and continues to explore options for revitalization. "Express" bus routes were used in the 1980s as an attempt to gain more middle-class riders from outlying areas, but the routes were largely discontinued by the early 2000s (decade). In the fall of 2007, IndyGo resumed express routes including one to Indianapolis International Airport.

Indy Connect

Indy Connect is a $1.2 billion plan to create a network of bus rapid transit lines, bikeways, and walkways. The first segment to be constructed will be phase one of the Red Line, traveling 14 miles (23 km) from Broad Ripple Avenue to the University of Indianapolis.[3] Construction along the route began in June 2018[4] with an expected opening of 2019.

Julia M. Carson Transit Center

After years of planning, public officials held a groundbreaking for IndyGo's downtown transit center in September 2014.[5] The site, a surface parking lot bounded by East Washington, East Pearl, South Delaware, and South Alabama streets in downtown Indianapolis, would become the public transportation corporation's first unified transit center. The project was paid for with a $13.5 million federal grant and $6.5 million from the agency's capital improvement budget.[5]

In May 2015, construction halted after excavators unearthed archeological finds dating to the 1800s, including building foundations.[6] The discoveries delayed the project seven months and increased costs by $5 million, with work commencing in October 2015.[7]

In April 2016, Indianapolis City-County Council passed a special resolution formally naming the transit center for Julia Carson, former U.S. Representative for Indiana's 7th congressional district (1997–2007). During her tenure in Congress, Carson helped secure federal funding for the $26.5 million transit center.[8]

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on June 21, 2016, with formal bus service beginning on June 26, 2016. Upon completion, the Customer Service Retail Center moved from 34 North Delaware Street to the 14,000 square feet (1,300.64 m2) center. Additionally, the center includes free Wi-Fi, public restrooms, a conference room, administrative offices, bus operator lounge, seating, real-time arrival and departure information, 19 bus bays, and 700 square feet (65.03 m2) of retail space. Of IndyGo's 31 routes, 26 routes offer transfers at the station.[9]

Since its completion, the Julia M. Carson Transit Center has received accolades for its contemporary design and environmental-sustainability components. The Indy Chamber recognized the project at its 40th Monumental Awards on October 19, 2017. IndyGo's design team, including AECOM, Axis Architecture + Interiors, Guidon Design, Rundell Ernstberger Associates (REA), and Loftus Engineering, Inc., received the Honor in Architecture, Achievement in Engineering, and Honor in Landscape Architecture awards. The transit center will be applying for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification.[10]

Routes

A map at a Blue Line bus stop.

IndyGo operates 31 fixed routes with some 7,000 stops; bus frequency varies on the population density along the route. The system carries approximately 10.2 million passengers annually, traveling a total distance of about 9 million miles. While IndyGo provides bus service primarily in Indianapolis, certain IndyGo fixed routes extend south of the city into Johnson County.

The Blue Line downtown circulator route was added in 2005 to attract passengers and saw considerable ridership. In late 2006, IndyGo complemented the Blue Line with the introduction of the Red Line, which runs between Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis and downtown, with 15-minute frequency. The Blue Line’s ridership declined as federal funding allotted for the route ran out, and the route was discontinued after December 31, 2007;[11] the Red Line remained a free route until January 2009 when it became a regularly priced route.[12] The Red Line retired when then Downtown Transit Center opened which means that IUPUI service will be covered by Routes 3, 10, and 37, along with 15-minute frequency on Michigan St. and New York St.;[13]

In the fall of 2007, IndyGo introduced an express route operated by a contractor, using ADA-accessible MCI J4500 motor coaches, the route running from downtown to the northern suburb of Fishers in Hamilton County, the most populous suburban county of Indianapolis. In March 2008, an additional express route to Carmel (also in Hamilton County) was launched, followed in March 2009 by express service to Greenwood, a southern suburb in Johnson County. The ICE Express Routes to Greenwood, Fishers, and Carmel were discontinued in 2010 after their federal grants expired.

Route List

Former Routes

  • 7 Southeast Zone[14]
  • 9 Airport Zone Service (eliminated June 27, 2004, replaced by IndyFlex)
  • 27 Butler (eliminated June 27, 2004, alternative service provided by Route 28)
  • 36 Northwest Circulator (eliminated June 27, 2004, replaced by IndyFlex)
  • 40 Chapel Hill Express (eliminated June 27, 2004, alternative service provided by Route 10)
  • 44 Castleton Square Express (eliminated June 27, 2004, alternative service provided by Route 19)
  • 45 East 38th Street Express (eliminated June 27, 2004, alternative service provided by Route 39)
  • 46 South Meridian (referred to IndyGo Commuter Assistance Program)
  • 48 Mitthoefer Express (eliminated June 27, 2004, alternative service provided by Route 21 and Route 39)
  • 49 Ameriplex (eliminated June 27, 2004, alternative service provided by Route 24)
  • 50 Red Line[15]
  • 70 East Side Connector (eliminated June 27, 2004, alternative service provided by Route 4, Route 8, Route 10, Route 21, and Route 39)[16]

Final Destinations by Route

  • 2 DTC to Western Select/Crossroads(33rd and Post)(Select Trips M-F only)
  • 3EB Mickley and Rockville to Arlington and 46th
  • 3WB Arlington and 46th to Mickley and Rockville
  • 4 DTC to Ivy Tech Lawerence/Community Hospital North(Select Trips 6 days a week)
  • 5 DTC to Sherman and 38th
  • 6 DTC to 36th and Totem
  • 8WB Meijer to Airport(every 30 minutes)/Indianapolis Zoo(every 15 minutes)/Downtown TC(certain times in the evening)
  • 8EB Airport/Indianapolis Zoo to Meijer/Shortridge Road(after 10:30pm M-F, after 9:55pm Saturday)
  • 10WB Walmart East Washington to Glenarm and Westhaven(every 40 minutes M-F, Saturday, every hour Sunday)/Cranston and Welcome Way(every 40 minutes M-F, Saturday, every hour Sunday)
  • 10EB Glenarm and Westhaven/Cranston and Welcome Way to Walmart East Washington/Shortridge Road(after 9:20pm M-F, after 7:20pm Saturday, after 6:45pm Sunday
  • 11 DTC to Noble of Indiana
  • 12 DTC to Main and Sherman/Keystone and National(Select Trips 7 days a week)
  • 13 DTC to Main and Sherman/Keystone and National(Select Trips 7 days a week)
  • 14 DTC to Emerson and Thompson
  • 15 DTC to Glenarm and Westhaven
  • 16 DTC to Greenwood Walmart
  • 17 DTC to Glendale Town Center
  • 18 DTC to Fashion Mall at Keystone at the Crossing
  • 19 DTC to 75th/Shadeland via 52nd(every hour M-F, every 2 hours on weekends)/via 46th(every hour M-F, every 2 hours on weekends)
  • 21 DTC to Washington Square Mall
  • 22 DTC to Community Hospital South
  • 24 DTC to Ameriplex
  • 25 DTC to Lafayette Rd. Walmart
  • 26SB The Fashion Mall at Keystone at the Crossing to Emerson and Thompson
  • 26NB Emerson and Thompson to The Fashion Mall at Keystone at the Crossing
  • 28 DTC to St. Vincent Women's Hospital
  • 30EB Eastgate to LaRue Carter Memorial Hospital
  • 30WB LaRue Carter Memorial Hospital to Eastgate
  • 31 DTC to Greenwood Park Mall/Greenwood Rural King(Select trips during weekday rush hour and all day on weekends)
  • 34 DTC to St. Vincent Hospital
  • 37 DTC to Intech Park
  • 38 DTC to Eagle Creek Parkway
  • 39 DTC to 3500 Mitthoefer via 42nd(every 30 minutes)/via 38th(every 30 minutes)
  • 55 DTC to Eastgate
  • 86EB Traders Point to Community Hospital North
  • 86WB Community Hospital North to Traders Point

Fleet

In the years when it was known as the Indianapolis Transit System, its standard fleet consisted mostly of dark orange/silverside GM Old Looks and GM New Looks, the latter 40 foot coaches and air-conditioned. When it became the Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation (adopting the Metro name) in 1975, the New Looks would become the workhorse of the fleet, with the agency adding AM General, GM's RTS-II series, GMDD Canada New Looks, and Orion I to the lineup as the New Looks were starting to show its age by the mid-1990s. These buses were painted white with brown-gold-brown stripes and the "Metro" name next to the exit door (save for the Canadian New Looks, which sported a bold black top around its windows) up until the change to the IndyGo branding in 1996.

By 1986, the buses that were in service at the time they had three greenish-blue stripes immediately below the windows and the word "Metro" near the front door. From 1997–2010 on the Phantoms and Low-Floor Coaches, they were painted white with one large dark green stripe on the right front window and one light green stripe over the first Window on the left side, dome of the newer ones from 2005 and 2007 had it painted in the back. Since 2010, all buses have been painted white and have a sleek blue cap at the top of them, along with green which is only on the hybrids,but will change over to all blue cap.

Discontinued

Indianapolis Transit System (1953–1975)

  • 901–925: 1955 GM Old Look (TDH 5105; ex-Denver Tramways, acquired 1962)
  • 1001–1062: 1951–52 GM Old Look (TDH4509)
  • 1101–1170: 1957 GM Old Look (TDH5105)
  • 1201–1215, 1301–1315, 1401–1415: 1961–62 GM New Look (TDH5301)[17]
  • 1501–1515, 1610–1615, 1701–1715, 1801–1815: 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967 GM New Look (TDH5303, air conditioned)[18]
  • 1901–1917, 2001–2015: 1968 GM New Look (TDH5305A, air conditioned)[19]

Indianapolis Transit Company

  • 362: 1961 GM New Look (TDH4517)
  • 363: 1962 GM Suburban New Look (SDM4501)
  • 365: 1963 GM Suburban New Look (SDM4502)

Suburban Lines

  • 218: 1963 GMC Suburban New Look (SDH4502)
  • 222: 1966 GMC Suburban New Look (SDH4502)

City of Indianapolis

  • 736–737: GMC New Look (TDH3302A)

Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation/IndyGo (After 1975)

  • 7601–7660: 1975–76 AM General 10240A
  • 7701–7740: 1977 AM General 10240B
  • 901–902: 1979 Chance RT-50
  • 8001–8020: 1980 GM RTSII-03
  • 8201–8223: 1982 GMDD New Look 5307A
  • 8301–8350 (35 ft), 8601–8680, 8701–8715: 1983, 1986–87 40 ft Orion I single-door coaches.
  • 8401–8430: 1983–84 MAN articulated
  • 9701–9730, 9801–9810: Gillig 1997 and 1998 40' Phantom coaches. The last 2 units were retired in the summer of 2015.
  • 1996–2000: Metrotrans Eurotrans coaches (paratransit).
  • 2001–2025: 2000 Gillig Low Floors, these buses were only 29-foot (8.8 m) long; they were retired because they held fewer people and had a higher cost in fuel per mile.
  • 2026–2050 (35 ft) & 2051–2075 (40 ft): 2000 Gillig low floor buses.
  • 2401H-2402H: 2004 Gillig 40-foot low floor hybrid buses...Retired due to mechanical Issues

In Service

Purchased New

  • 2301–2324: 2003 Gillig 40-foot low floor buses. 2322 was retired due to damage from an accident.
  • 2701–2710: 2007 Gillig 40-foot low floor buses. These buses are identical to the 2003 Gillig low floors except the rear end design.
  • 1001–1011: 2010 Gillig 40-foot BRT buses. These buses feature significant design changes from previous Gillig models.
  • H1012-H1022: 2010 Gillig 40-foot BRT hybrid buses.
  • H1301-H1304: 2013 Gillig 40-foot BRT hybrid buses. These buses are identical to the previous Gillig BRT hybrids.
  • 1401–1413: 2014 Gillig 40-foot BRT buses. These buses have destination signs that can change in brightness depending on the brightness of the surroundings (such as going through tunnels or running in the nighttime).
  • 1501–1513: 2015 Gillig 40-foot BRT buses. These buses are identical to the 2014 Gillig BRTs save updated handicap seating, updated technology, and a different color scheme.
  • 1601–1613: 2016 Gillig 40-foot BRT buses. These buses are identical to the 2015 buses, except they have newer updated seating just like the electric buses and a brand new CAD system for the bus drivers, another change is that in previous models on the back of the buses it said "stop" now these have just brake lights like all the older low floor buses
  • 1701–1716: 2017 Gillig 40-foot BRT Buses. These buses look exactly like the 2016 buses, except the seating goes back to the same style as the 2015 buses and before
  • 1801-1808: 2018 Gillig 40-foot BRT buses. These buses have newer updated seating and newer flooring on the inside of the bus

IndyGo also operates 40 Flexible Service vans and employs a contractor to operate an additional 40.[20]

Purchased Secondhand

  • 9789–9799: 1997 New Flyer Industries D40LF 40-foot low floor buses. IndyGo purchased these from Santa Monica.
  • 9901–9928: 1999 Nova Bus LFS 40-foot low floor buses. IndyGo purchased 19 units (not numbered consecutively) in 2013 from COTA to replace its aging fleet of Gillig Phantoms that were still in service at the time. These buses get used mainly for routes that make a trip or 2 during the rush hour.
  • 0101-0116: Around 2000 New Flyer Industries D40LF 40-foot low floor buses. IndyGo purchased these buses early 2018 from COTA, and these buses are still in good condition.
  • 0130-0140: 2000 New Flyer Industries D40LF 40-foot low floor buses. IndyGo purchased these buses from COTA at the same time as the Nova Bus LFSs. These buses get used on most routes since they are still in good condition
  • 0001-0021: 2000–2001 Gillig 40-foot low floor buses with ZEPS electric powertrains. IndyGo purchased these buses in 2015 for operation on shorter routes, as the buses can go 130 miles on a single charge
  • 0201-0217: 2002 New Flyer Industries D60LF 60-foot articulated low floor buses.[21] IndyGo purchased these buses from Los Angeles to hold more passengers on busier routes.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "IndyGo Red Line Rapid Transit" (PDF). Small Starts Project Development. Federal Transit Administration. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Transit Planning". Ridership Data. Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  3. ↑ Tuohy, John (August 11, 2015). "Indy's bus rapid transit plan begins move to express lane". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
  4. ↑ "IndyGo's Red Line Project Begins Construction". IndyGo. 31 May 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  5. 1 2 Tuohy, John (September 23, 2014). "Transit center groundbreaking is Thursday". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
  6. ↑ Tuohy, John (May 14, 2015). "Discovery halts construction of part of transit center". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  7. ↑ Briggs, James (December 28, 2015). "Archeological findings put IndyGo's Downtown bus transit center 7 months behind schedule". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  8. ↑ Tuohy, John (April 11, 2016). "Proposal would name transit center for Julia Carson". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
  9. ↑ Tuohy, John (June 14, 2016). "5 things to know about that shiny new Transit Center in Indianapolis". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Julia M. Carson Transit Center". Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
  11. ↑ IndyGo News Release: IndyGo to discontinue Blue Line, highlight future enhancements Archived 2010-11-23 at the Wayback Machine.
  12. ↑ IndyGo board approves fare increases Archived 2008-12-18 at the Wayback Machine.
  13. ↑
  14. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20020405153314/http://www.indygo.net:80/routes.htm. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  15. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20101123204111/http://indygo.net/routes.htm. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  16. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20040603012344/http://www.indygo.net:80/FLASH/restructure20040514.htm. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  17. ↑ TDH 5301
  18. ↑ TDH 5303
  19. ↑ TDH 5305A
  20. ↑ (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20080410063906/http://www.indygo.net/PDF/IndyGoFAQ_2007.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 10, 2008. Retrieved December 31, 2007. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  21. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-03-03. Retrieved 2014-02-04.
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