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IndyGo is taking steps to make some of its regular bus stops more like the decked-out stops along its rapid-transit lines, starting with its first “super stop,” which it unveiled Monday.
The $6.6 million project at the downtown intersection of Delaware and New York streets includes real-time bus arrival screens, ticket-vending machines, extended covered seating, security cameras, near-level boarding, a dedicated bus lane and space for multiple buses.
The Indianapolis Department of Public Works collaborated with IndyGo on the project to improve Delaware Street. IndyGo covered just more than $2 million for bus-related aspects of the project, while the DPW covered the remaining construction costs.
Delaware Street was stripped and resurfaced, which involved the removal of old rail lines. The portion of Fort Wayne Avenue between Delaware and Pennsylvania will also be converted into a two-way street. This portion of the project is ongoing and will be completed by the end of October, according to DPW deputy director Ericka Miller.
IndyGo President and CEO Inez Evans said at least six more locations are planned for the improved bus stops. The timing of the next depends on federal grant money, she said.
Evans said the new stops will be a way to consolidate bus stops and make travel safer for pedestrians and drivers. The super stop—which is along five routes—will decrease the intermingling of IndyGo buses and combine nearby stops, she said.
IndyGo has frequently undertaken its own infrastructure projects, mostly associated with the bus rapid transit lines like the Purple Line. Evans said that collaborating with DPW to get road work done is beneficial and something she plans to continue to do.
“It makes all of our dollars stretch to go a little bit further,” Evans told IBJ. “But also, if we’re opening up the ground, why not invite others to come in and upgrade their infrastructure while we’re there?”
Future super stops are planned for Delaware and North streets; the southwest corner of Alabama and North streets; the northwest corner of New York and North streets; Fort Wayne Avenue and 9th Street; and Vermont Street and Capitol Avenue.
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This will bring the paid ridership flocking.
Delaware Street is looking good.
It’s nice to see the shift in mentality at DPW to one that realizes 4 lane one way streets are completely, utterly insane. In the last 5-ish years we’ve seen them give a lane of Pennsylvania to a protected bike lane, a lane of Illinois to a cycle track, a travel lane + parking lane of Capitol to the Red Line and a lane of Delaware to a dedicated transit lane. Kudos to DPW!
It’s needed and things are looking good all over the City/county.
IndyGo should consider circulator busses to the downtown Red Line stations and these new Super Stops (as well as other regular stops) to make getting from one part of downtown to another more convenient and faster.
Yeah, they definitely need that. Before the current Red Line existed, they used to have the Route 50 Red Line. It was a circulator from Downtown to IUPUI. I used it almost every day to get to campus. It wasn’t normally busy, but that’s because it was almost only useful for people going to IUPUI. A circulator would be useful to connect Fletcher Place, the CBD, Mass Ave, IUPUI, and White River State Park.
was this $6.6 million for one bust stop??
No, that was the cost of the whole reconstruction project. The bus lanes, stops, concrete, etc. was about 1/3rd of the total cost.
Great. Now if you can only get people to ride the bus and even better, pay the fare.
I agree with Brent’s idea of downtown circulator busses connecting to the Red Line stations. The work on Delaware street has made it drivable for the first time in many years. The super stops brings the service up to 2020.