IndyGo

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.

In early 2006, the city approved preparations for a new transit center, similar to ones in Columbus and Charlotte. Construction of the new Transit Center began in 2015 and is opened in June 2016.

The Julia M. Carson Transit Center (DTC) is the hub for public transit in Indianapolis, where riders can transfer from bus to bus.

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.

Julia M. Carson Transit Center

The Julia M. Carson Center officially opened on June 21, 2016, with a ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony. The Customer Service Retail Center moved from their location at 34 N. Delaware St. to the Transit Center the day after. Bus service officially began running from the Transit Center on June 26. IndyGo offered free rides to all passengers from June 26 – July 4, 2016, and additional service on the 4th of July to help customers get home from the Donatos Downtown Freedom Blast.

Routes

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; the Red Line remained a free route until January 2009 when it became a regularly priced route. 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.;

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.

Final Destinations by Route

2 DTC to Western Select

2C DTC to Crossroads/33rd and Post

3EB Mickley and Rockville to Arlington and 46th

3WB Arlington and 46th to Mickley and Rockville

3A Mickley and Rockville to Ellenburger Park

4 DTC to Ivy Tech Lawerence via 56th St.

4B DTC to Community Hospital North

5 DTC to Sherman and 38th

6 DTC to 36th and Totem

8EB Meijer to Airport

8WB Airport to Meijer

8G Meijer to Indianapolis Zoo

10EB Walmart East Washington to Glenarm and Westhaven

10WB Glenarm and Westhaveb to Walmart East Washington

10A Walmart East Washington to Cranston and Welcome Way

11 DTC to Noble of Indiana

12 DTC to Main and Sherman

12A DTC to Keystone and National

13 DTC to Main and Sherman

13A DTC to Keystone and National

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

19A DTC to 75th/Shadeland via 46th

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 Rural King

31A DTC to Greenwood Park Mall

34 DTC to St. Vincent Hospital

37 DTC to Intech Park

38 DTC to Eagle Creek Parkway

39 DTC to 3500 Mitthoefer via 42nd

39A DTC to 3500 Mitthoefer via 38th

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 1997, 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, some of the ones from 2003 and 2007 have banner advertisements thrown over them, some currently on them is the Technology Green Recycling, Ken Nunn, Talk to Tucker Housing, and Chamerlain University

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 (TDH 4509)

1101–1170: 1957 GM Old Look (TDH5105)

1201–1215, 1301–1315, 1401–1415: 1961–62 GM New Look (TDH5301)

1501–1515, 1610–1615, 1701–1715, 1801–1815: 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967 GM New Look (TDH5303, air conditioned)

1901–1917, 2001–2015: 1968 GM New Look (TDH5305A, air conditioned)

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, 8601–8680, 8701–8715: 1983, 1986–87 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.

Purchased New

2026–2050 (35 ft) & 2051–2075 (40 ft): 2000 Gillig low floor buses. Many have been retired due to accidents, fires, or major mechanical issues.

2301–2324: 2003 Gillig 40-foot low floor buses. 2322 was retired due to damage from an accident.

2401H-2402H: 2004 Gillig 40-foot low floor hybrid buses.

2701–2710: 2007 Gillig 40-foot low floor buses. These buses are identical to the 2003 Gillig low floors save 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, expect 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 just have brake lights just like all the older low floor buses

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

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 only get used for mainly routes that make a trip or 2 during the rush hour

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 articuluated low floor buses. IndyGo purchased these buses to hold more passengers on much more busier routes.