Four years in, Blue Indy car-sharing service still stuck in the red
Blue Indy has yet to see a money-making year, and the company’s top Indianapolis official says he can’t predict when that will happen.
Public Transportation
Articles
City to close key Market Street block for eight-month, $6M revamp
The complete overhaul of the street will include a raised pedestrian crossing between entrances for the City-County Building and the City Market.
IPS wants high schoolers to take IndyGo instead of yellow school buses
It’s unclear, however, how many high school students will be able to rely on the city’s long-starved transit system to get to school if the district eventually stops providing buses.
Boeing’s 737 Max might stay grounded until next year
The plane is expected to start flying again in January 2020 “under the latest scenario,” the Wall Street Journal reported, citing unidentified sources within the Federal Aviation Administration and pilot-union leaders.
IndyGo’s Purple Line, Blue Line to be delayed by year or more
The first phase of IndyGo’s bus rapid transit project, the Red Line, remains on schedule for a Sept. 1 debut.
IndyGo faces challenges as early adopter of electric fleet
The transit system has hit some speed bumps as it works to implement a new model of electric bus that will be its fleet for the Red Line, the rapid-transit route that begins service Labor Day weekend.
City approves new caps, rules for scooter-rental companies
The new rules cap the number of licenses for dockless shared-use mobility companies in Indianapolis and mandate that those companies deploy a certain number of scooters to different areas of the city.
City officials hope scooters can help solve residents’ transit challenges
City officials and transportation advocates want to increase access to scooters for low- and moderate-income residents who live outside the downtown areas where they’re most heavily used.
Pacers Bikeshare program revamps pricing model
The new pay-as-you-go pricing puts Pacers Bikeshare more in line with the pricing model used by scooter companies Bird and Lyft, which have eaten into the program’s business.
IBJ Podcast: IndyGo’s electric buses won’t go as far on a charge as the manufacturer promised
IBJ reporter Susan Orr talks with host Mason King about how Indy’s weather is contributing to the problem, what IndyGo wants BYD to do about it and what other city got so fed up it sent its buses back to the company.
IndyGo’s new electric buses can’t go the distance
IndyGo says the electric buses it intends to use on the Red Line have been unable to run the 275 miles on a single charge that was promised by manufacturer BYD Ltd.
Ford Motor Co., city of Indianapolis roll out community mobility challenge
The challenge will solicit community ideas for tackling local mobility problems and award one or more finalists with $100,000 to implement pilot tests of their ideas.
Hoosier State train route could derail without state cash
Supporters are fighting for continued public funding of the Indianapolis-to-Chicago rail service—even as they acknowledge the route’s travel times and ridership levels need improvement.
Group launches $15M loan fund for housing near IndyGo stops
The goal is to preserve or spur development of 1,000 affordable housing units within close distance of an Indianapolis transit stop over the next five years.
UPDATE: IndyGo to accelerate schedule for Red Line construction
Speeding up construction is expected to shave four months off the 13-mile bus line project.
IndyGo CEO to depart public transit agency after 15 years
Michael Terry oversaw IndyGo at a critical time. In 2016, the agency successfully asked Marion County taxpayers for increased revenue in a tax referendum. The agency is now carrying out a plan to build three bus rapid-transit lines in Indianapolis.
Fast-growing DoubleMap, maker of transit software, merges with Utah company
The Indianapolis company, formed in 2009, makes apps that allow users to track buses in real time and hail rides on demand. It is merging with Ride Systems LLC to gain more users and build market share.
IndyGo OK so far with electric buses, despite Albuquerque woes
IndyGo and bus maker BYD Ltd. say they’re confident the electric buses Indianapolis plans to use for the Red Line will meet the system’s needs.
IndyGo, planning on electric buses for Red Line, skeptical of Albuquerque’s reported woes
The city of Albuquerque, New Mexico, says it has discovered serious structural and safety problems with the same model of electric bus IndyGo plans to use for the Red Line.
IndyGo receives first of 13 electric buses to serve Red Line
IndyGo has already begun employee training and performance testing for the vehicles. One key question is whether the vehicles will achieve the expected range of 275 miles per charge.