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IPS & IndyGo Pilot Program

IPS High School Students Can Enjoy Benefits of Riding IndyGo

IPS and IndyGo are partnering to create an exciting transportation benefit for all district high school students.

Students from Arsenal Tech, Crispus Attucks, George Washington and Shortridge can opt to ride IndyGo, the city’s public transit system, to and from school instead of using the district’s yellow school buses.

Students will still receive a traditional yellow bus assignment for the school year and be allowed to ride their yellow bus to and from school whenever they choose. The use of IndyGo is offered as an additional option.

The goal of the program is twofold:

  • To provide IPS high school students with a new benefit that offers greater mobility to navigate throughout the city while gaining new skills and independence as they move toward their post-secondary plans.
  • In future years, to help IPS reduce its transportation budget significantly in order to increase resources to the classroom. This plan was communicated in the run up to the 2018 November election in which voters approved new funds for the district.

Pilot Program Highlights

Each IPS student’s high school-issued ID card will be embedded with a FREE electronic bus pass — good from August 2019 to August 2020. Students can use their ID cards to commute to and from school, work and extracurricular activities. They can also use IndyGo to simply explore the city.

Cards will be updated each school year.

Additional information can also be found on IndyGo’s Student Program page.

Students can plan their route using the myStop Mobile app, which also allows them to:

  • Track IndyGo buses on their route.
  • View real-time stop information.
  • Customize favorite routes.
  • Receive service alerts.

And so much more!

The app is offered on both Apple and Google Play.

There are several benefits students gain from using IndyGo, including:

  • Independence as they master navigating the state’s largest mass transit system.
  • Freedom to ride the bus to and from work and extracurricular activities, or simply to explore the city.
  • Connectivity to the city at-large, making them feel more at ease with local residents and their surroundings.

There are a variety of ways IndyGo works to keep riders safe, including:

  • Audio and video surveillance equipment at the Transit Center and on all buses and platforms.
  • Emergency call boxes.
  • Uniformed and undercover police officers on IndyGo buses, monitoring bus stops and at the Transit Center

IndyGo is offering a FREE limited bus pass for IPS high school parents/guardians to use to do a “test run” of the IndyGo system with their student. Passes are available at each high school.

Quick Facts About IndyGo

IndyGo, the brand name for the Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation, is a municipal corporation for the city of Indianapolis. Since 1975, IndyGo has managed and operated the city’s public bus transit system and is the largest public transportation provider in the state of Indiana.

The Red Line operates from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday – Friday, from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Saturdays, and from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays. A rapid transit vehicle arrives every 10-20 minutes depending on the time of day. For questions or concerns related to IndyGo services (including routes, bus times, schedules, etc.), please call 317.635.3344 or visit the IndyGo Contact Us webpage.

Located in downtown Indy, the Transit Center houses IndyGo’s customer service representatives, a retail center and much more. Residents use the center for a variety of reasons, including as their initial pick-up and drop-off point, to transfer to another bus along their route, or to purchase bus passes.

The Transit Center offers:

  • 19 covered bus bays with electronic information signs.
  • Indoor and outdoor touch screens, featuring real-time transportation information.
  • Free Wi-Fi.
  • Charging stations.
  • An indoor waiting area.
  • Friendly customer service representatives.
  • Public restrooms.
  • Uniformed and undercover police officers.
  • Security cameras.

The Transit Center is located at 201 E. Washington St., at the southeast corner of Delaware and Washington streets.

The Red Line is a new rapid transit service offering more frequent routes between Broad Ripple and the University of Indianapolis.

It runs from Broad Ripple through downtown Indy to the University of Indianapolis, and features bus stop platforms in the center of the street along College Avenue, Meridian Street and various other points running north and south throughout the city.

The Red Line operates from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday – Friday, from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Saturdays, and from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays. A rapid transit vehicle arrives every 10-20 minutes depending on the time of day.

Red Line Station Platforms offer a variety of convenience and safety features, including:

  • Snow melt systems.
  • Lighting for easy visibility.
  • Three security cameras per platform.
  • A blue emergency call box.
  • Transit security and fare inspectors patrolling throughout the day and night.
  • Outside Tap Reader boxes to expedite the fare process.
  • Real-time arrival screens featuring up-to-the-minute arrival times and bus directions.
  • Charging stations.
  • Free Wi-Fi.

Riding an IndyGo bus is open to everyone, but there are clear and defined rules that must be followed by riders in order to continue to use this public transportation service. 

Standing, Sitting and Personal Belongings

  • Federal regulations prohibit the operation of any bus with riders standing ahead of the yellow or white line located on the floor near the driver’s seat. If a seat is available, please use it. If a seat is not available, please hold onto the rails.
  • Seats in the front of the bus are reserved for people with disabilities, mobility aids, expectant mothers and the elderly.
  • Riders are discouraged from occupying more than one seat.
  • Personal belongings should fit in a rider’s lap or under their seat.

Conduct and Noise

Disruptive behavior is prohibited on all IndyGo buses and at the Transit Center.

Food and Beverages

Eating and drinking are not allowed on IndyGo buses or in or around the Transit Center, except where vendors sell and serve food and offer seating for consumption.

Food purchased inside the Transit Center will not be allowed for consumption on buses. Sealed and wrapped food and beverages may be transported, but not consumed on buses.

For a more detailed list of guidelines, visit www.IndyGo.net.