Red Line (IndyGo)

Last updated
IndyGo Red Line
IndyGo Red Line BRT.jpg
Northbound IndyGo BYD battery electric bus at Statehouse Station
Overview
System IndyGo Rapid
OperatorIndianapolis Public Transportation Corporation
GarageIndyGo Headquarters
1501 W. Washington Street
Vehicle BYD K11 (60-foot articulated battery-powered electric transit bus)
StatusOperational
Began serviceSeptember 1, 2019
Route
Route type Bus rapid transit
Locale Indianapolis, Indiana
Start66th Street & College Avenue station, north of Broad Ripple
Via Julia M. Carson Transit Center in Downtown Indianapolis
End University station (Campus Drive & Shelby Street)
Stations28
Service
Ridership1,013,324 (2020)
 {{{previous_line}}} {{{system_nav}}} {{{next_line}}} 

The Red Line of IndyGo is a bus rapid transit line serving parts of central, northern, and southern Indianapolis. The first phase of this transit route entered service on September 1, 2019, and was originally free for the first month; the free service was extended to the second and third months due to problems with the fare collection system. [1] The Red Line links Broad Ripple to the University of Indianapolis via Downtown Indianapolis. [2]

History

A Red Line station under construction in Fountain Square in July 2019. Fountain Square, Indianapolis (IndyGo stop).jpg
A Red Line station under construction in Fountain Square in July 2019.

On May 31, 2018, IndyGo began construction of the Red Line, the city's first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line. The first phase of the system opened on September 1, 2019, after about 15 months of construction and testing. The $96.3 million project included a $75 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration. [3] Two additional BRT lines (Purple Line and Blue Line) are presently planned, along with proposed extensions on both ends of the Red Line. [4] The Red Line has been assigned IndyGo Route #90.

Features of the Red Line include level boarding, dedicated bus lanes, and doors on both sides.

The Red Line serves Marion County with eventual service extensions planned to County Line Road/Madison Avenue at the southern boundary with Johnson County and a still undetermined alignment to the northern boundary with Hamilton County. A Johnson County extension to Smith Valley Road in Greenwood has been approved with early design work funded. A Hamilton County extension to Grand Park in Westfield has been proposed with early design work funded. [5]

At introduction, every second BRT vehicle continued along the then proposed route of the Red Line beyond the completed BRT stations as "Route 90 - Red Line Local." This local line stopped at traditional bus stops to continue service to the northern and southern boundaries of Marion County. Due to traffic issues and low ridership, IndyGo discontinued this service. [6] Since then, northbound service terminates at the 66th/College station and southbound service terminates at the University (Campus/Shelby) station. Dedicated local routes now provide supplementary service with Route 901 traveling as far north as 91st Street and Route 902 traveling as far south as County Line Road. [7]

Due to Red Line buses failing to meet contractually obligated mileage ranges, bus manufacturer BYD paid for them to be retrofitted with inductive charging plates. These plates enable inductive charging of the buses en route to reduce service disruption. One inductive charging station was installed near the 66th/College station, another was planned near Madison Ave/County Line Rd, and a third planned near Ivy Tech Community College – Lawrence Campus. [8]

On the morning of April 24, 2024, a Red Line bus on 38th street caught on fire. All four people got off the bus with only two having slight injures. Police arrested a 45-year old man and preliminarily charged him with two counts of arson. IndyGo estimated the total damages to the bus and station at $2 million. [9] [10]

Station listing

There are at present 28 stations on the Red Line. All stations are served by all Red Line vehicles, but every other bus continues on beyond the last station to the county line as Route 90 - Red Line Local. Those that do not continue on to execute the turnaround procedure from the station as detailed in the Red Line operations manual.

Station [11] TypeOpenedNotes
66th/CollegeCurbside (NB only)September 1, 2019North terminus of Phase 1; wireless vehicle charging site;
NB vehicles terminating use protected signal at 66th Street
to make U-turn to SB College via Old College Avenue
Broad Ripple
(Broad Ripple/College)
Center IslandSeptember 1, 2019south of Broad Ripple Avenue
Kessler/CollegeCenter IslandSeptember 1, 2019south of Kessler Boulevard East Drive
54th/CollegeCenter IslandSeptember 1, 2019at Bungalow Court, north of 54th Street
52nd/CollegeCenter IslandSeptember 1, 2019mid-block, south of 54th Street
46th/CollegeCenter IslandSeptember 1, 2019south of 46th Street
42nd/CollegeCenter IslandSeptember 1, 2019north of 42nd Street
Park/38thMedian StationSeptember 1, 2019at Park Avenue; Purple Line will share
38th/MeridianCenter IslandSeptember 1, 2019south of 38th Street; Purple Line will share
34th/MeridianCenter IslandSeptember 1, 2019north of 34th Street; Purple Line will share
30th/Museum
(30th/Meridian)
Center IslandSeptember 1, 2019north of 30th Street; Purple Line will share
Fall Creek/Ivy Tech
(Fall Creek/Meridian)
Center IslandSeptember 1, 2019north of Fall Creek Parkway, North Drive;
Purple Line will share
22nd/MeridianCenter IslandSeptember 1, 2019south of 22nd Street; Purple Line will share
18th/MeridianCenter IslandSeptember 1, 2019north of 18th Street; Purple Line will share
IU Health Methodist Hospital
(18th/Capitol)
Center IslandSeptember 1, 2019south of 18th Street; Purple Line will share
14th/CapitolCenter IslandSeptember 1, 2019north of 14th Street; Purple Line will share
9th/CapitolCenter IslandSeptember 1, 2019south of 9th Street at Arch Street; Purple Line will share
Vermont/CapitolCenter IslandSeptember 1, 2019north of Vermont Street; Purple Line will share
Statehouse
(Washington/Capitol)
Center IslandSeptember 1, 2019south of Court Street, north of Washington Street; Purple Line will share
Julia M. Carson Transit Center Transit Center BaySeptember 1, 2019NB Bay "G"; SB Bay "L"
New Jersey/VirginiaCurbside (NB, SB)September 1, 2019southeast of New Jersey Street
Fletcher Place
(Merrill/Virginia)
Curbside (NB, SB)September 1, 2019northwest of Merrill Street
Fountain Square
(Woodlawn/Virginia)
Curbside (NB, SB)September 1, 2019northwest of Woodlawn Avenue
Pleasant Run
(Pleasant Run/Shelby)
Curbside (NB, SB)September 1, 2019between Pleasant Run Parkway, South Drive and Iowa Street
Raymond/ShelbyCurbside (NB, SB)September 1, 2019north of Raymond Street (NB); south of Raymond (SB)
Garfield Park
(Southern/Shelby)
Curbside (NB, SB)September 1, 2019north of Southern Avenue (SB); south of Southern (NB)
Troy/ShelbyCurbside (NB, SB)September 1, 2019north of Troy Avenue (NB); south of Troy (SB)
University (Campus/Shelby)Center IslandSeptember 1, 2019South terminus of Phase 1; SB vehicles terminating
discharge passengers, then use Shelby, Mills, Madison,
and Hanna to return to NB Shelby.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority</span> Public transit operator in Metro Atlanta, Georgia

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority is the principal public transport operator in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Formed in 1971 as strictly a bus system, MARTA operates a network of bus routes linked to a rapid transit system consisting of 48 miles (77 km) of rail track with 38 subway stations. MARTA's rapid transit system is the eighth-largest rapid transit system in the United States by ridership.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miami-Dade Transit</span> Primary public transit authority of Miami, Florida

Miami-Dade Transit (MDT) is the primary public transit authority of Miami, Florida and the greater Miami-Dade County area. It is the largest transit system in Florida and the 15th-largest transit system in the United States. As of 2023, the system has 80,168,700 rides per year, or about 277,400 per weekday in the fourth quarter of 2023. MDT operates the Metrobus with their paratransit STS systems run by LSF. MDT also operates two rail transit systems: Metrorail and Metromover.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calgary Transit</span> Public transit service in Calgary, Alberta

Calgary Transit is the public transit agency which is owned and operated by the city of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. In 2019, an estimated 106.5 million passengers boarded approximately 1,155 Calgary Transit vehicles. It operates light metro (LRT), urban tramway, bus rapid transit (BRT), para-transit, and regular bus services. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 144,385,200, or about 463,000 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">G Line (Los Angeles Metro)</span> Bus rapid transit line in Los Angeles, California

The G Line is a bus rapid transit line in Los Angeles, California, operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). It operates between Chatsworth and North Hollywood stations in the San Fernando Valley. The 17.7-mile (28.5 km) G Line uses a dedicated, exclusive right-of-way for the entirety of its route with 17 stations located at approximately one-mile (1.6 km) intervals; fares are paid via TAP cards at vending machines on station platforms before boarding to improve performance. It is one of the two lines in the Los Angeles Metro Busway system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milwaukee County Transit System</span>

The Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) is the largest transit agency in Wisconsin, and is the primary transit provider for Milwaukee County. It ranks among the top 50 transit agencies in the United States for total passenger trips. Milwaukee Transport Services, Inc. is a quasi-governmental agency responsible for the management and operation of the Milwaukee County Transit System. Its bus fleet consists of 360 buses. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 17,507,900, or about 57,600 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mississauga Transitway</span> Bus rapid transit system in Mississauga, Ontario

The Mississauga Transitway is a bus rapid transit (BRT) system in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It comprises a series of purpose-constructed bus-only roadways, as well as reserved lanes on existing city streets and portions of Highway 403, that together form a continuous 18 km (11 mi) route spanning most of the city from Winston Churchill Boulevard in the west to the junction of Highways 401 and 427 in the east on the border with Toronto. Service on the Transitway is provided by MiWay and GO Transit, with some stations providing connections to Brampton Transit and Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) bus services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GoRaleigh</span> Transit system in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA

GoRaleigh is the transit system responsible for operating most of the public transportation services in Raleigh, North Carolina. The system operates 27 fixed routes throughout the city's municipal area and also operates five regional/express routes in partnership with GoTriangle, the regional provider. GoRaleigh is contracted to operate two additional routes, an express route to the Wake Tech Community College campus south of Raleigh and a local circulator service in the Town of Wake Forest. Capital Area Transit, also known as CAT, was rebranded to GoRaleigh in 2015 under the consolidated GoTransit, a joint branding of municipal and regional transit systems for the Research Triangle. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 5,094,000, or about 14,900 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pittsburgh Light Rail</span> Light rail system in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The Pittsburgh Light Rail is a 26.2-mile (42.2 km) light rail system in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and surrounding suburbs. It operates as a deep-level subway in Downtown Pittsburgh, but runs mostly at-grade in the suburbs south of the city. The system is largely linear in a north-south direction, with one terminus near Pittsburgh's central business district and two termini in the South Hills. The system is owned and operated by Pittsburgh Regional Transit. The T is one of the surviving first-generation streetcar systems in North America, with the oldest portions of the network dating back to 1903 and the Pittsburgh Railways. It is also one of only three light rail systems in the United States that continues to use the broad 5 ft 2+12 in Pennsylvania Trolley Gauge on its lines instead of the 4 ft 8+12 instandard gauge. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 3,417,100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metro Red Line (Minnesota)</span>

The Metro Red Line is a bus rapid transit line between the Twin Cities suburbs of Bloomington, Minnesota and Apple Valley, Minnesota. The Red Line travels primarily on Minnesota State Highway 77 and Cedar Avenue from the Apple Valley station in Apple Valley, north through Eagan, Minnesota, to the Mall of America station in Bloomington where it connects to the Metro Blue Line. The line has bus rapid transit elements including bus-only lanes, specially branded vehicles, transit signal priority, and dedicated stations.

The Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation, branded as IndyGo, is a public transit agency and municipal corporation of the City of Indianapolis in the U.S. state of Indiana. It operates fixed-route buses, bus rapid transit, microtransit, and paratransit services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metro Orange Line (Minnesota)</span> Minnesota bus line

The Metro Orange Line is a bus rapid transit line in the Twin Cities, Minnesota operated by Metro Transit. The line operates primarily along Interstate 35W from downtown Minneapolis through Richfield and Bloomington before terminating in Burnsville, Minnesota. The Orange Line provides access to 198,000 jobs with roughly a quarter of them outside downtown Minneapolis. The route serves a mix of stations located in the center of the highway, stations near highway exits, and on-street stations. The line has features typical of bus rapid transit systems with off-board fare payment, articulated buses with extra doors, stations with improved passenger amenities, and transit-only bus lanes on portions of the route.

The I-77 Bus Rapid Transit is a proposed bus rapid transit (BRT) service, connecting the towns in northern Mecklenburg and southern Iredell counties to Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina. The BRT replaces the previously planned commuter rail service, the Lynx Red Line, that was routed along the existing Norfolk Southern O-Line right-of-way. However, several issues had arisen that included ineligibility for federal funding and Norfolk Southern refusal to allow access to its right-of-way. In 2019, after a reevaluation of the entire corridor, the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) decided to move forward with BRT and shelve the commuter rail; which had been met with frustration by various city leaders and residents impacted by it.

Transportation in Indianapolis consists of a complex network that includes a local public bus system, several private intercity bus providers, Amtrak passenger rail service, four freight rail lines, an Interstate Highway System, an airport, a heliport, bikeshare system, 115 miles (185 km) of bike lanes, and 116 miles (187 km) of trails and greenways. The city has also become known for its prevalence of electric scooters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HealthLine</span> Bus rapid transit line in Cleveland, Ohio

The HealthLine is a bus rapid transit (BRT) line run by the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority in Cleveland and East Cleveland, Ohio, United States. The line runs along Euclid Avenue from Public Square in downtown Cleveland to the Louis Stokes Station at Windermere in East Cleveland. It began operation on October 24, 2008. Its current name was the result of a naming rights deal with the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals of Cleveland. The HealthLine is denoted with a silver color and abbreviated simply as HL on most RTA publications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bus rapid transit in New Jersey</span>

Bus rapid transit in New Jersey comprises limited-stop bus service, exclusive bus lanes (XBL) and bus bypass shoulders (BBS). Under the banner Next Generation Bus New Jersey Transit (NJT), the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), and the metropolitan planning organizations of New Jersey (MPO) which recommend and authorize transportation projects are undertaking the creation of several additional bus rapid transit systems (BRT) in the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metro (Minnesota)</span> Rapid transit network in the Minneapolis metropolitan area of the United States

Metro is a transit network in Minnesota serving the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. It also provides service to some suburban areas. As of 2022, the system consists of two light rail lines and five bus rapid transit (BRT) lines all of which are operated by the local public transit company: Metro Transit. The five lines connect Downtown Minneapolis and St Paul with the Bloomington, Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport, Roseville, Richfield, Burnsville and Brooklyn Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albuquerque Rapid Transit</span> Public Transportation in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Albuquerque Rapid Transit, also known as ART, is a bus rapid transit (BRT) system serving the Central Avenue corridor in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. There are two lines running between Tramway Boulevard, the Central and Unser Transit Center (CUTC), and the Uptown Transit Center (UTC). It was built in 2016–17 and began limited operation in November 2017, but was subsequently delayed for over two years due to problems with the stations and buses. After the original fleet of electric buses was replaced with diesel buses, the line began regular service on November 30, 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metrobus (Miami-Dade County)</span>

The Metrobus network provides bus service throughout Miami-Dade County 365 days a year, operated by Miami-Dade Transit. It consists of about 79 routes and 771 buses, which connect most points in the county and part of southern Broward County as well. As of 2023, the system has 58,282,300 rides per year, or about 201,200 per day in the fourth quarter of 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MAX Purple</span>

MAX Purple, also known as Route 307 or the 17 Avenue SE BRT, is a bus rapid transit line in Calgary, Alberta. Part of Calgary Transit's MAX network, it largely travels east along 17 Avenue SE from downtown Calgary.

References

  1. "Indygo's Red Line will now be free through the end of November".
  2. "Project Overview:Construction:Red Line Acceleration". IndyGoRed.com. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
  3. Briggs, James (May 4, 2018). "Indianapolis Red Line project gets $75 million despite Trump's opposition". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
  4. "Red Line – Detailed Information", IndyGo, retrieved January 6, 2023
  5. Ibid.
  6. Hwang, Kellie. "Why the Red Line extension no longer goes to 96th Street". Indianapolis Star.
  7. "Routes 901, 90, and 902 Map Effective October 9, 2022", IndyGo, retrieved January 6, 2023
  8. "IndyGo Implements Inductive Charging Along the Red Line to Charge Buses En Route", IndyGo, retrieved January 6, 2023
  9. Thomas, Jade (April 24, 2024). "IndyGo bus fire at 38th and Meridian ends in arson arrest". IndyStar. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  10. Gay, David (April 24, 2024). "1 arrested after IndyGo Red Line bus reportedly set on fire at near northside bus station". Fox 59. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  11. "Red Line Detailed Plans". August 6, 2019.