Red Line (IndyGo)

A Red Line station under construction in Fountain Square in July 2019.

On May 31, 2018, the Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation (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.[4] Two additional BRT lines (Purple Line and Blue Line) are presently planned, along with extensions on both ends of the Red Line. The Red Line has been assigned IndyGo Route #90.

Phase 2 will extend the line farther north, with approved phase 2A running from the end of phase 1 at 66th Street and College Avenue north to the county line at 96th Street. A yet-to-be approved phase 2B extension from there into Hamilton County would travel through suburban Carmel to Westfield, terminating the line in that city's Grand Park. Phase 3 will run from just north of Hanna Avenue on Shelby Street at the University station to Greenwood. Approved phase 3A will take the line to County Line Road South, and a yet-to-be approved phase 3B would continue south into Johnson County to a terminus near Madison Avenue and Smith Valley Road in Greenwood.[5]

At introduction, every second BRT vehicle continues along the future route of the Red Line beyond the completed BRT stations as "Route 90 - Red Line Local", stopping at traditional bus stops along the remainder of both ends of the route in the county. The Red Line will be effectively be split into two separate, but co-branded routes. The first will run from 96th and College to Shelby and Campus (University station), while the second will run from the Greenwood Park Mall to 66th/College station. Wireless charging sites have been installed at 96th Street & College Avenue and at the Greenwood Park Mall Park & Ride stop on County Line Road South to facilitate recharging of the buses as necessary. This is in addition to the recharging facilities previously announced at the 66th/College station and at the IndyGo Maintenance Facility on West Harding Street. Only BRT vehicles will use the stations, with the exception of six of those along Meridian Street and one on 38th Street. Route 39: East 38th Street buses will also share those seven station facilities, in anticipation of that route being eventually replaced by the proposed Purple Line BRT service.[6]

Due to traffic issues and low ridership, IndyGo discontinued the 96th and College stop on the Red Line Local extension on December 20th. Since then, Route 90 has terminated at College Avenue and Lake Nora Drive, just south of 91st Street. [7]

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.

• Transportation in Indianapolis

• IndyGo Red Line home page

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