The IndyGo Green Line Downtown/Airport Express service is coming to an end.
The final day of service will be Sunday, Sept. 16, 2012, at 9:00 pm. The line was funded by a federal grant, and IndyGo says there's no more money to keep it going.
IndyGo encourages riders to use the local Route 8, which runs between downtown Indianapolis and the Indianapolis International Airport.
Route 8, Washington Street cross-town, serves Indianapolis International Airport seven days a week. Westbound buses to the airport stop along Ohio Street, walking distance from several downtown hotels. At the airport's Ground Transportation Center, downtown-bound passengers can board Route 8 at Zone 6.
It costs $1.75 per ride or $4 for a day pass. Trips to and from the airport run every thirty minutes all day, every day including holidays, and the travel time is about 45 minutes between the airport and downtown.
Ohio Street, served by Route 8, acts as IndyGo's hub. Passengers can catch 27 different routes between Capitol Avenue and Delaware Street for travel to hundreds of destinations.
All buses are ADA accessible, have bike racks and are equipped with audio and video surveillance.
About the Green Line
In the fall of 2007, the Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation (IndyGo) launched the Green Line Downtown/Airport Express, a demonstration service made possible by a non-renewable federal Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) grant. The federally-funded demonstration service focused on assessing the demand for a direct route between the Indianapolis International Airport and downtown Indy hotels. The CMAQ program does not offer long-term funding for operating transit service.
While the Green Line service has been popular, providing approximately 29,000 rides so far in 2013, ridership on the Airport Express service represents less than 1% of the total IndyGo system ridership. Since its launch in November of 2007, the Green Line has delivered more than 170,000 passenger trips. Because the Green Line was funded as a demonstration, the operation of the service was contracted to a private transportation company who supplied the vehicles and drivers.
Funding/Budgeting
• $3,000,000 CMAQ funds were awarded to IndyGo to cover 80% of operating costs. IndyGo supplied the required 20% local match.
• The demonstration project was originally slated to last three years, but thanks to competitive bidding by transportation service contractors, the lower operating costs allowed the service to run through Q3 of 2012.
• Passenger fare revenue was applied toward 20% local match.
• The approximate cost to operate service has been nearly $700,000 annually ($694,082.91 in 2011). This includes payment to the service provider, administrative costs and marketing.
IndyGo does not plan to fund the continuation of the Green Line Express. As funding allows, future growth of Indianapolis's transit system will be guided by IndyGo's Comprehensive Operational Analysis, the "bus plan" portion of the Indy Connect initiative and other planning studies done in conjunction with the Indianapolis MPO.
Downtown stakeholders such as the Indiana Convention and Visitors Association and hotels have been strong supporters of the Green Line and will be able to promote IndyGo's Route 8 as a transportation choice for visitors and guests.
IndyGo Customer Service can help passengers can make trip plans in advance at 317.635.3344, or passengers can access information 24/7 at IndyGo.net.
