INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis' public transit bus system was granted a top safety award from the Transportation Security Administration on Thursday.
TSA granted IndyGo the Gold Standard Award for safety in its bus system, making it one of only five transit agencies nationwide to receive this recognition this year, according to the agency.
The Gold Standard Award is the highest level of recognition TSA can give to a transit agency for achieving top scores during an annual review of 17 categories of security and emergency preparedness elements.
The review evaluates several aspects of a transit agency’s operations, including its security plan, security training, drills and exercise programs, public outreach efforts and background check procedures, according to IndyGo.
"We are proud to collaborate with IndyGo toward our shared commitment to transportation safety,” TSA Acting Regional Security Director Tony Metcalf said in a statement. “This Gold Standard Award honors IndyGo’s leadership in mass transit security and is well-deserved."
The bus system covers 400 square miles in Marion County.
TSA has oversight of nearly 6,800 public transit agencies in the country. Every year, the TSA assesses a select number of transit agencies nationwide for evaluation through its Baseline Assessment for Security Enhancement (BASE) program.
Just a fraction of those evaluated achieve scores high enough to receive the Gold Standard Award, according to IndyGo.
This is IndyGo's fourth Gold Standard Award. The agency previously won the award in 2011, 2017 and 2020.
