IndyGo Board
IndyGo Board of Directors
Transportation
Thursday, May 15, 2025
4:00 p.m. — 6:00 p.m. EDT
9503 E 33rd St Indianapolis, IN 46235 (Directions)
Regular IndyGo Board of Directors meeting.
Questions? Email us at documenters@mirrorindy.org
Check the source website for additional information
Reporting
Edited and summarized by the Indianapolis - IN Documenters Team
Live reporting by
Kelli Jack-Kelly
Regular IndyGo Board of Directors meeting, where a fare increase was discussed.
A few minutes uses late getting started since a few of the members were stuck in traffic. They should have taken the bus😉
The main agenda item for today is the proposal to increase bus fare from $1.75 to $2.75 per trip for many riders. That's a 57% increase during a time that riders and consumers are tightening their belts.
The reason for the proposed fare increase, the first since 2009, is the need for labor, rising fuel costs, construction and needed capital improvements like facility maintenence and busses.
The board shows that ridership is down as costs are up, creating the need to increase revenue. The 57% increase for the average rider will make it more difficult to afford since their average annual income is $25,000 per year.
A similar fare increase is being considered for the reservation-based routes on IndyGo Access routes tailored to riders with disabilities. This fare could go from the current $3.50 per ride to $5.50 per ride under the new proposal ; a 64% increase.
What IndyGo officials are proposing along with the price increase that more riders us the MyKey fare system which puts price caps on the daily and weekly fares. However, the MyKey limits would also be increasing from $4 to $6 on daily fares and $15.75 to $24.75 for weekly rates.
The MyKey fare card program was introduced in 2019 and allows regular riders to save some money with greater convenience. indygo.net/how-to-ride/
indygo.net/how-to-ride/
The IndyGo system has been slow to rebound since the pandemic as total trips went from 9.2 million in 2019 to approximately 5 million in 2021; a drop of 84%. Last year trips increased to 7 million; still 2 million below pre-pandemic levels.
As riders move back to utilizing IndyGo, the Red Line reached a record 1.1 million trips in 2024. infogram.com/indygo-2024-ri…
infogram.com/indygo-2024-ri…
To put the proposed fare increases into perspective, the $1.75 fare from 2009 in only worth two-thirds of that value today, or $2.61. Although this is slightly less than the proposed new far of $2.75, IndyGo leaders believe the difference may cover any future inflationary costs.
The proposed fare would be higher than those in other cities of similar size to Indianapolis like Columbus, Nashville and Detroit. Residents of these cities pay $2 per trip, while Chicago and Charlotte riders pay $2.25 and $2.20 respectively.
IndyGo is in need of greater revenue and increased fares could help address the 58% rise in operating expenses from 2013 to 2023. Currently, fare payments make up only 4-6% of IndyGo's total revenue down from approximately 20% in the 2000s.
In 2025, IndyGo officials believe they will reach $5.9 million dollars, which is just 4% of the $147 million operating budget. The remainder of funding comes from local taxes, federal funding and grants. One area of concern is the frequently broken fare kiosks on the BRT routes.
This results in no fares as riders use the buses for free. IndyGo is now utilizing new equipment and arbitrary inspections at those locations.
Fares would have been increased even if the three BRT lines had not been created at a cost of approximately $671 million. The Federal Transit Administration provided over half of that investment cost, while the other half was paid for from local funds. transit.dot.gov
transit.dot.gov
Despite the less expensive MyKey program option, most IndyGo riders pay with cash. Demographic data shows that a typical rider is a 35-49 year old Black female with a household income of less that $25,000 per year. indygo.net/wp-content/upl…
indygo.net/wp-content/upl…
From that same data, it was discovered that 57% of riders have no vehicle available for use and 54% pay cash for a single trip or day pass. Roughly 21% us MyKey, 17% through a tap card and 4% used the mobile app to pay.
The other riders, approximately 25%, purchase a 10-trip, one-week, or monthly pass. Under the new proposed plan, these options would be phased out leaving riders to use either MyKey or cash as the only payment options.
Discounts for children, riders with disabilities and seniors on Medicare will pay half of the stated fare, which is required by law. Free rides are offered to IndyGo staff, some government employees, and veterans.
IndyGo wants to hear your thoughts! A livestream presentation will take place on Facebook and Zoom June 3rd at 5:30 p.m. with time for questions and concerns afterward. There will be a public hearing on June 18th, 2025 during the regular board meeting at 4:00 p.m.
The public hearing will be held at the IndyGo east side administrative office complex 9503 E. 33rd St in the boardroom of building B. Between June 5th and 26th, IndyGo will hold a series of meetings across Marion County every Tuesday and Thursday at 6 p.m. in person.
Have questions? Think we got something wrong? Send any questions on the meeting or these tweets to @indydocumenters. Or, email us at documenters@mirrorindy.org.
@indydocumenters Meeting adjourned at 5:02 p.m. This concludes the May 2025 IndyGo board meeting. The next meeting is scheduled for June 18th, 2025 at 4:00 p.m. For more meeting coverage, check out mirrorindy.org
mirrorindy.org
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Agency Information
IndyGo Board of Directors
A Board of Directors approves IndyGo policies relating to operations, contracted services, safety, finance, and overall corporate structure. The Mayor of Indianapolis and the City-County Council of Indianapolis and Marion County appoint the bipartisan group. The mayor selects three members and the Council selects four. If you would like to contact an IndyGo Board of Directors member, please send an email to IndyGoBoard@IndyGo.net
Meetings are no longer live streamed by the agency.
Find Documenters coverage of past board meetings: https://indianapolis-in.documenters.org/reporting/?agency=799
Board members:
- Greg Hahn, chair
- Adairius J. Gardner, vice chair
- Richard Harry Wilson, Jr., treasurer
- Mary Ann Fagan, secretary
- Stephanie Quick, member