Recent IndyGo Initiatives Include New Purple Line
Writer / Seth Johnson
Photographer Michael Durr
North Indy Magazine recently caught up with IndyGo director of communications Carrie Black to learn about some of the public transit system’s recent initiatives.
Purple Line Construction
After successfully integrating the Red Line into Indy’s public transit network, IndyGo is now in the process of constructing a second Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line to be known as the Purple Line, which will service the city’s eastside. Set to launch in either the third or fourth quarter of 2024, the Purple Line is about 50% complete as of this spring.
Like the Red Line, IndyGo’s Purple Line will have buses arriving at stops every 15 to 20 minutes. The route will begin downtown at the Julia M. Carson Transit Center and run along the Red Line until reaching 38th Street, at which point it will travel east on 38th Street to Post Road before heading up north to Lawrence.
As Black explains, one major benefit of this Purple Line construction will be some much-needed infrastructure improvements and upgrades for the city’s eastside.
“Half of the funding for the Purple Line is going to infrastructure improvements and upgrades,” Black says. “This means that a very disenfranchised part of our city that hasn’t seen upgrades on their roads and sidewalks in many decades is now going to see some tremendous improvements as a result of IndyGo’s Purple Line. It’s going to mean about 26 miles of newly paved roads. It will also mean about nine miles of new or upgraded sidewalks.”
For updates on the Purple Line, be sure to visit IndyGo.net/Purple.
Additional Super Stops
An IndyGo Super Stop can best be described as an elevated bus stop with some added perks.
“They have a more elevated experience for the rider,” Black says. “They have covered shelters. They have extended seating with benches. There are real-time screens, similar to what you have at the Red Line stations. There are payment machines so you can buy your fair there as well. And then, there’s also level boarding, where you don’t have to have a big step onto the bus.”
Currently, IndyGo has two Super Stops, with one located at the intersection of Delaware and New York streets and the other located at the intersection of Delaware and North streets. Now, after being awarded a Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Bus and Bus Facilities Grant in early 2022, IndyGo will build eight more Super Stops this year at the following locations:
- Southwest corner of Alabama Street and North Street
- Northwest corner of New York and North Street
- Fort Wayne Avenue and 9th Street (both directions)
- Vermont Street and Capitol Avenue (both directions)
Wellness in Transit
After a successful pilot in the summer of 2022, IndyGo’s Wellness in Transit program has now returned permanently to the Julia M. Carson Transit Center.
In partnership with Gennesaret Free Clinics, IndyGo will host a mobile medical clinic on Tuesdays from 1 to 4 p.m. at 201 E. Washington St. on the Transit Center’s northside, providing free healthcare services to visitors regardless of health insurance status.
“During the six-month pilot program, Wellness in Transit engaged more than 300 people over the course of 23 weeks, cared for 124 patients and wrote 90 prescriptions,” Black says. “That six-month pilot ended at the end of last year. Because it was so successful, we’ve brought it back permanently. It’s now here to stay, and we’ll be expanding that as we go along.”
Currently, there are few free, walk-in social services available within the downtown core. With this being said, Wellness in Transit fills a need and provides resources to enhance the well-being of riders while reducing the transportation burden of an added trip.
IndyGo Is Hiring
IndyGo is currently in the midst of an aggressive hiring campaign, as it looks to fill several job openings.
“We are in desperate need of more drivers and more mechanics,” Black says. “Our drivers literally keep our service moving forward. So if we’re running short on drivers, then that impedes our ability to be able to provide reliable service, and it also makes it harder for us to expand our service, which is something that we are working to do.”
As Black points out, IndyGo also pays for individuals to get their Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) training with professionals like https://www.cdlknowledge.com/cdl-practice-test/, meaning a CDL is not required when applying to become a bus driver.
“We will train you and pay you while you are training to get your CDL,” Black says. “Whether you’re a housewife sitting at home or somebody who has a job in a cubicle, you can come apply to be a driver, and we’ll teach you everything you need to know.”
To learn more about job opportunities with IndyGo, visit IndyGo.net/Employment.
