Mike Biberstine, public policy director for the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, parked his car for a week in June and relied on IndyGo for transportation. Watch Mike discuss his experience in this video.
How often do you use IndyGo or another transit service? If you haven't tried it yet, what's holding you back? Have a question about using transit in Central Indiana? Tell us about it in the comments section.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Update: A (Former) Transit Rider with a Choice
By Christy Campoll, Program Liaison
Last October, I shared my reflections on commuting to work via IndyGo. I rode the Route 10 bus to and from work almost every day for six months. Because it was an experience with mixed results – and because I’m what’s known as a “transit user with a choice” – last month I made the choice to start driving to work again. That led me to realize that I have other choices as well.
Of course, my decision to drive each day came with ramifications. Making the trek in my large, gas-guzzling pick-up truck meant re-introducing myself to the cost of gas, the stress of downtown driving and the guilt that comes with adding emissions to our air. The benefit? I got another hour each day to care for family, home and self.
You see, after a few months on the bus it dawned on me that my six-mile one-way commute consumed a lot of time. I’d leave the house at 7 AM, walk to the bus stop, ride the bus, walk from the bus stop to my office and be in chair at 7:50 AM. The way home was less predictable. Thanks to rush hour traffic, my bus routinely was 5-10 minutes late, and 20-minute delays weren’t unusual. This brought my evening commute time to a full hour.
Compare that to my door-to-door, 20- or 25-minute commute by car and you see that I can save an hour per day by driving. That’s priceless, especially for a working parent.
Granted, it’s not all been great. Since I started driving again, I’ve locked my keys in the truck three times – once forcing my husband to drive in from his east-side office, and twice forcing me to get dirty and embarrassed crawling under the truck to find the magnetic key box on its underside. (I now keep one spare in my purse and one in my desk drawer.) One day, after unknowingly parking in a private lot, I returned to find my car on a tow truck (cost: a $100 drop fee). And then there’s the car I bumped while squeezing into a tight parking space. Fortunately, the car’s owner was able to buff out the damage.
OK: I probably get into these situations more than the average commuter, but all drivers have problems once in a while. (At least I was still on the bus during the worst of pothole season.)
These experiences prompted another choice: two wheels rather than four. I tried bicycling to work and found it to be quicker and more enjoyable than I anticipated. Ninety percent of my ride is on roads with bike lanes and little traffic. As a YMCA member, I can shower at the Athenaeum before heading into the office. The garage under my office building provides secure bicycle parking, out of the elements. The 13-mile round trip provides a solid workout, eliminating the need to squeeze workouts into my busy life.
I also learned that, if I commute by bike three times per week, I become eligible for the Emergency Ride Home benefit offered by Central Indiana Commuter Services. Carpoolers, vanpoolers, transit riders and those who walk to work are also eligible for this benefit. That makes me wonder if I could find someone to carpool with on the days I do not bike, further decreasing the cost of my decision to trade in my bus pass for a parking permit.
The bottom line? My choices aren’t limited to bus or car … I have plenty of options. How about you? Have you tried different modes of commuting and compared the costs and benefits of each? How did you choose your present mode of commuting? Share your story by leaving a comment.
Last October, I shared my reflections on commuting to work via IndyGo. I rode the Route 10 bus to and from work almost every day for six months. Because it was an experience with mixed results – and because I’m what’s known as a “transit user with a choice” – last month I made the choice to start driving to work again. That led me to realize that I have other choices as well.
Of course, my decision to drive each day came with ramifications. Making the trek in my large, gas-guzzling pick-up truck meant re-introducing myself to the cost of gas, the stress of downtown driving and the guilt that comes with adding emissions to our air. The benefit? I got another hour each day to care for family, home and self.
You see, after a few months on the bus it dawned on me that my six-mile one-way commute consumed a lot of time. I’d leave the house at 7 AM, walk to the bus stop, ride the bus, walk from the bus stop to my office and be in chair at 7:50 AM. The way home was less predictable. Thanks to rush hour traffic, my bus routinely was 5-10 minutes late, and 20-minute delays weren’t unusual. This brought my evening commute time to a full hour.
Compare that to my door-to-door, 20- or 25-minute commute by car and you see that I can save an hour per day by driving. That’s priceless, especially for a working parent.
Granted, it’s not all been great. Since I started driving again, I’ve locked my keys in the truck three times – once forcing my husband to drive in from his east-side office, and twice forcing me to get dirty and embarrassed crawling under the truck to find the magnetic key box on its underside. (I now keep one spare in my purse and one in my desk drawer.) One day, after unknowingly parking in a private lot, I returned to find my car on a tow truck (cost: a $100 drop fee). And then there’s the car I bumped while squeezing into a tight parking space. Fortunately, the car’s owner was able to buff out the damage.
OK: I probably get into these situations more than the average commuter, but all drivers have problems once in a while. (At least I was still on the bus during the worst of pothole season.)
These experiences prompted another choice: two wheels rather than four. I tried bicycling to work and found it to be quicker and more enjoyable than I anticipated. Ninety percent of my ride is on roads with bike lanes and little traffic. As a YMCA member, I can shower at the Athenaeum before heading into the office. The garage under my office building provides secure bicycle parking, out of the elements. The 13-mile round trip provides a solid workout, eliminating the need to squeeze workouts into my busy life.
I also learned that, if I commute by bike three times per week, I become eligible for the Emergency Ride Home benefit offered by Central Indiana Commuter Services. Carpoolers, vanpoolers, transit riders and those who walk to work are also eligible for this benefit. That makes me wonder if I could find someone to carpool with on the days I do not bike, further decreasing the cost of my decision to trade in my bus pass for a parking permit.
The bottom line? My choices aren’t limited to bus or car … I have plenty of options. How about you? Have you tried different modes of commuting and compared the costs and benefits of each? How did you choose your present mode of commuting? Share your story by leaving a comment.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Transit and the 2011 Indiana General Assembly: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Early in the 2011 session of the Indiana General Assembly, we were thrown a curve ball: the chair of the House Ways and Means Committee inserted a $10 million cut to the state Public Mass Transportation Fund in the biennial state budget bill. Central Indiana transit advocates had been focused on the future of transit, monitoring the potential of the legislature to enable local referenda on creating dedicated revenue to finance transit system improvements such as the plans laid out in Indy Connect. We didn’t expect any action concerning the present. The prevailing attitude about the current state of affairs is that policymakers can’t make it much worse in our state, whose transit systems lag far behind peer systems in other states, both in funding and level of service.
The Public Mass Transportation Fund (PMTF) is was a fixed source of sales tax revenue for all of the transit systems in the state – from rural demand-responsive programs to small city programs to IndyGo. A total of 66 transit agencies divide the .67% portion of Indiana’s sales tax allocated to the PMTF. The proposed cut in the House budget bill would have reduced the PMTF to .551% of the sales tax. The 17.8% cut would have impacted transit agency budgets to the point of service cuts and layoffs. IndyGo was facing a direct loss of $2 million. What’s more, transit agencies use their PMTF money to cover the local match required for receiving federal grants. Therefore, IndyGo would have lost up to $8 million more in federal funds – a severe blow to its budget of about $55 million per year. Take a look at IndyGo’s system map and imagine one out of five of those routes gone. Thousands would lose access to their jobs, medical appointments and other necessities. This is what a transit funding cut looks like.
After two months of anxiety and pleading, Indiana’s transit advocates breathed a sigh of relief when the final version of the biennial budget bill passed with 2012 transit funding levels intact (the good). 2013 funding was frozen at 2012 levels (the bad), which was disappointing, but less of crisis. Then, our relief took a nose dive when we learned about the ugly: that the 30-year-old guaranteed source of dedicated sales tax revenue known as the Public Mass Transportation Fund was eliminated. Instead, transit funding has been relegated to one of thousands of line items in the state’s general fund, which change from year to year. It will now be up to INDOT to decide every two years whether they want to allocate some part of its agency-wide allocation to public transportation.
The elimination of the PMTF funding mechanism will set the tone for General Assembly’s Joint Study Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Assessment and Solutions, a newly enacted committee of legislators who will do the following during the interim periods between sessions(IC 2-5-28.5):
(1) Assess the condition of Indiana's transportation infrastructure in both the public and private sectors.
(2) In connection with the Indiana department of transportation and other interested parties, project Indiana's transportation demands through 2035.
(3) Determine whether Indiana's existing transportation infrastructure is capable of meeting the transportation demands projected under subdivision (2).
(4) Establish appropriate roles and responsibilities for:
(A) the state and county and municipal governments; and
(B) the private sector;
in meeting Indiana's projected transportation demands.
(5) Identify potential funding sources for both public and private transportation and infrastructure projects.
(6) Report its findings to the governor and, in an electronic format under IC 5-14-6, the general assembly.
This summer, transit advocates will be paying close attention to the activities of this committee. Will you join us? Interim Study Committee schedules and proceedings are announced at http://www.in.gov/legislative/index.htm (lower left side).
The Public Mass Transportation Fund (PMTF) is was a fixed source of sales tax revenue for all of the transit systems in the state – from rural demand-responsive programs to small city programs to IndyGo. A total of 66 transit agencies divide the .67% portion of Indiana’s sales tax allocated to the PMTF. The proposed cut in the House budget bill would have reduced the PMTF to .551% of the sales tax. The 17.8% cut would have impacted transit agency budgets to the point of service cuts and layoffs. IndyGo was facing a direct loss of $2 million. What’s more, transit agencies use their PMTF money to cover the local match required for receiving federal grants. Therefore, IndyGo would have lost up to $8 million more in federal funds – a severe blow to its budget of about $55 million per year. Take a look at IndyGo’s system map and imagine one out of five of those routes gone. Thousands would lose access to their jobs, medical appointments and other necessities. This is what a transit funding cut looks like.
After two months of anxiety and pleading, Indiana’s transit advocates breathed a sigh of relief when the final version of the biennial budget bill passed with 2012 transit funding levels intact (the good). 2013 funding was frozen at 2012 levels (the bad), which was disappointing, but less of crisis. Then, our relief took a nose dive when we learned about the ugly: that the 30-year-old guaranteed source of dedicated sales tax revenue known as the Public Mass Transportation Fund was eliminated. Instead, transit funding has been relegated to one of thousands of line items in the state’s general fund, which change from year to year. It will now be up to INDOT to decide every two years whether they want to allocate some part of its agency-wide allocation to public transportation.
The elimination of the PMTF funding mechanism will set the tone for General Assembly’s Joint Study Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Assessment and Solutions, a newly enacted committee of legislators who will do the following during the interim periods between sessions(IC 2-5-28.5):
(1) Assess the condition of Indiana's transportation infrastructure in both the public and private sectors.
(2) In connection with the Indiana department of transportation and other interested parties, project Indiana's transportation demands through 2035.
(3) Determine whether Indiana's existing transportation infrastructure is capable of meeting the transportation demands projected under subdivision (2).
(4) Establish appropriate roles and responsibilities for:
(A) the state and county and municipal governments; and
(B) the private sector;
in meeting Indiana's projected transportation demands.
(5) Identify potential funding sources for both public and private transportation and infrastructure projects.
(6) Report its findings to the governor and, in an electronic format under IC 5-14-6, the general assembly.
This summer, transit advocates will be paying close attention to the activities of this committee. Will you join us? Interim Study Committee schedules and proceedings are announced at http://www.in.gov/legislative/index.htm (lower left side).
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
11 Benefits of Transit
This article was published in the Spring 2011 newsletter of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization, where you can read about regional transportation planning efforts such as bikeways, long-range planning and more.
1. Investment in public transportation is good for business. Analysis of Portland, Oregon's transit system and land use patterns revealed that the associated reductions in commute time and vehicle miles travelled freed up $2.6 billion per year for general consumer spending [i]. Studies have found that transit systems boost annual area business sales: $16.3 billion in sales due to Philadelphia's total system, $3.8 billion due to Dayton, Ohio's total system, and $4.6 billion from upgrades to Chicago's system [ii].
2. Transit increases property values. In Portland, residential property values were found to increase by ten percent when the homes were located within ¼ mile of rail stations [iii]. Residential property values in St. Louis were found to increase $140 for every 10 feet closer the homes are to rail stations; a home located 100 feet from a station has a price premium of $19,029 compared with the same house located 1,460 feet away [iv]. Proximity to bus rapid transit stations has also been shown to increase property values [v].
3. Transit systems create jobs. IndyGo provides employment for approximately 450 local residents. Supplying the system with everything from buses to fuel to uniforms creates a multiplying effect in the local and national economy. Nationwide, 24,000 jobs are supported for one year per billion dollars spent on public transit capital investments. For every billion dollars used for operational expenses, 41,000 jobs are supported [vi]. These jobs generate hundreds of millions of dollars of tax revenue and boost national GDP.
4. Public transportation provides personal mobility and freedom for people from every walk of life. Access to transit gives people travel options to get to work, go to school, visit friends, or go to a doctor's office. More and more people are expressing their desire to reduce their dependence on their cars, especially young professionals and recent college graduates, who are likely to choose places to live based quality of life factors including the availability of mass transit [vii].
5. Transit is the primary mobility option available to people who are unable to drive a car. According to the National Household Travel Survey, 9% of driving-aged individuals do not drive [viii]. Public transportation is the key to independent living for many people who are elderly or have a disability. With access to transit, non-drivers can work, shop, get medical care and enjoy a quality of life that is more equal to that of people with the ability to drive and the means to own a car.
6. Public transportation saves drivers time by reducing congestion on our roadways. In the Indianapolis metro area, we each spend an average of 25 hours per year idling in congested traffic [ix]. The more people choose transit over driving, the fewer hours we spend sitting in congestion. A full IndyGo bus takes 38 cars off the road (more if some passengers stand because the seats are full). Full Indy Express Bus vehicles take up to 55 cars off the road.
7. Using transit instead of driving a car results in substantial household financial savings. The average cost to own and operate an average-sized sedan is $8,487 or 56.6 cents per mile if you drive 15,000 miles per year [x]. Expenses include financing, gas, depreciation, insurance and maintenance. What is the price of 12 IndyGo monthly passes? $720. That's a monthly savings of $647.
8. Transit use reduces pollution. If an individual with a 20-mile roundtrip commute chooses public transportation over driving, his or her annual CO2 emissions will decrease by 4,800 pounds per year, equal to a 10% reduction in a two-car household's carbon footprint [xi].
9. Public transportation is good for your health. People who take public transportation on a regular basis walk more. After a light rail line opened in Charlotte, North Carolina, people who used the system more than once a week for 8 months had a 1.18 kilogram reduction in body mass index (BMI). That's a loss of between 6.4 and 7 pounds for a person who's around 5'5'' [xii].
10. Riding transit is safer than driving a car. In 2008, 12.2 transit riders were injured per 100 million passenger miles traveled. In contrast, 51.1 car occupants involved in crashes were injured per 100 million passenger miles [xiii]. In other words, people riding in cars are more than four times more likely experience crashes causing injuries than transit passengers.
11. The presence of public transit makes for a more livable urban environment. When transit systems are built, transit-oriented development is likely to occur near transit stations, increasing the density of housing, offices, stores, and services. This makes pedestrian access easy and reduces the need to drive a personal vehicle. The benefits of transit-oriented development and the resulting increase in urban density range from improved public safety to reduced energy consumption to the preservation of rural areas and open space.
[i] Cortright, Joe, "Portland's Green Dividend", http://www.impresaconsulting.com/node/42
[ii] Cambridge Systematics, "Public Transportation and the Nation's Economy A Quantitative Analysis of Public Transportation's Economic Impact", http://www.camsys.com/pubs/publictransp_nationseconomy.pdf
[iii] Al-Mosaind, M A, Dueker, K J and Strathman, J G, "Light-rail transit stations and property values: a hedonic price approach", http://pubsindex.trb.org/view.aspx?id=383269
[iv] Garrett, Thomas A., "Light Rail Transit in America: Policy Issues and Prospects for Economic Development", Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (http://www.stlouisfed.org/)
[v] National Bus Rapid Transit Institute, "Land Use Impacts of Bus Rapid Transit: Effects of BRT Station Proximity on Property Values along the Pittsburgh Martin Luther King, Jr. East Busway", http://www.nbrti.org/docs/pdf/Property%20Value%20Impacts%20of%20BRT_NBRTI.pdf
[vi] American Public Transportation Association, "Economic Impact of Public Transportation Investment", http://www.apta.com/resources/reportsandpublications/Documents/economic_impact_of_public_transportation_investment.pdf
[vii] Crain's Detroit Business, http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20070812/SUB/708130316
[viii] US Department of Transportation, National Household Travel Survey, http://nhts.ornl.gov/
[ix] Texas Transportation Institute, "2010 Urban Mobility Report". http://mobility.tamu.edu/ums/report/
[x] AAA, "Your Driving Costs, 2010 edition" http://www.aaaexchange.com/Assets/Files/201048935480.Driving%20Costs%202010.pdf
[xi] IndyGo, http://www.indygo.net/pages/go-green
[xii] National Public Radio, "Riders Who Take Mass Transit Regularly May Lose Weight", http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2010/06/30/128210165/riders_who_take_mass_transit_regularly_may_lose_weight
[xiii] Analysis of US Bureau of Transportation Statistics figures, http://www.bts.gov/publications/national_transportation_statistics/
1. Investment in public transportation is good for business. Analysis of Portland, Oregon's transit system and land use patterns revealed that the associated reductions in commute time and vehicle miles travelled freed up $2.6 billion per year for general consumer spending [i]. Studies have found that transit systems boost annual area business sales: $16.3 billion in sales due to Philadelphia's total system, $3.8 billion due to Dayton, Ohio's total system, and $4.6 billion from upgrades to Chicago's system [ii].
2. Transit increases property values. In Portland, residential property values were found to increase by ten percent when the homes were located within ¼ mile of rail stations [iii]. Residential property values in St. Louis were found to increase $140 for every 10 feet closer the homes are to rail stations; a home located 100 feet from a station has a price premium of $19,029 compared with the same house located 1,460 feet away [iv]. Proximity to bus rapid transit stations has also been shown to increase property values [v].
3. Transit systems create jobs. IndyGo provides employment for approximately 450 local residents. Supplying the system with everything from buses to fuel to uniforms creates a multiplying effect in the local and national economy. Nationwide, 24,000 jobs are supported for one year per billion dollars spent on public transit capital investments. For every billion dollars used for operational expenses, 41,000 jobs are supported [vi]. These jobs generate hundreds of millions of dollars of tax revenue and boost national GDP.
4. Public transportation provides personal mobility and freedom for people from every walk of life. Access to transit gives people travel options to get to work, go to school, visit friends, or go to a doctor's office. More and more people are expressing their desire to reduce their dependence on their cars, especially young professionals and recent college graduates, who are likely to choose places to live based quality of life factors including the availability of mass transit [vii].
5. Transit is the primary mobility option available to people who are unable to drive a car. According to the National Household Travel Survey, 9% of driving-aged individuals do not drive [viii]. Public transportation is the key to independent living for many people who are elderly or have a disability. With access to transit, non-drivers can work, shop, get medical care and enjoy a quality of life that is more equal to that of people with the ability to drive and the means to own a car.
6. Public transportation saves drivers time by reducing congestion on our roadways. In the Indianapolis metro area, we each spend an average of 25 hours per year idling in congested traffic [ix]. The more people choose transit over driving, the fewer hours we spend sitting in congestion. A full IndyGo bus takes 38 cars off the road (more if some passengers stand because the seats are full). Full Indy Express Bus vehicles take up to 55 cars off the road.
7. Using transit instead of driving a car results in substantial household financial savings. The average cost to own and operate an average-sized sedan is $8,487 or 56.6 cents per mile if you drive 15,000 miles per year [x]. Expenses include financing, gas, depreciation, insurance and maintenance. What is the price of 12 IndyGo monthly passes? $720. That's a monthly savings of $647.
8. Transit use reduces pollution. If an individual with a 20-mile roundtrip commute chooses public transportation over driving, his or her annual CO2 emissions will decrease by 4,800 pounds per year, equal to a 10% reduction in a two-car household's carbon footprint [xi].
9. Public transportation is good for your health. People who take public transportation on a regular basis walk more. After a light rail line opened in Charlotte, North Carolina, people who used the system more than once a week for 8 months had a 1.18 kilogram reduction in body mass index (BMI). That's a loss of between 6.4 and 7 pounds for a person who's around 5'5'' [xii].
10. Riding transit is safer than driving a car. In 2008, 12.2 transit riders were injured per 100 million passenger miles traveled. In contrast, 51.1 car occupants involved in crashes were injured per 100 million passenger miles [xiii]. In other words, people riding in cars are more than four times more likely experience crashes causing injuries than transit passengers.
11. The presence of public transit makes for a more livable urban environment. When transit systems are built, transit-oriented development is likely to occur near transit stations, increasing the density of housing, offices, stores, and services. This makes pedestrian access easy and reduces the need to drive a personal vehicle. The benefits of transit-oriented development and the resulting increase in urban density range from improved public safety to reduced energy consumption to the preservation of rural areas and open space.
[i] Cortright, Joe, "Portland's Green Dividend", http://www.impresaconsulting.com/node/42
[ii] Cambridge Systematics, "Public Transportation and the Nation's Economy A Quantitative Analysis of Public Transportation's Economic Impact", http://www.camsys.com/pubs/publictransp_nationseconomy.pdf
[iii] Al-Mosaind, M A, Dueker, K J and Strathman, J G, "Light-rail transit stations and property values: a hedonic price approach", http://pubsindex.trb.org/view.aspx?id=383269
[iv] Garrett, Thomas A., "Light Rail Transit in America: Policy Issues and Prospects for Economic Development", Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (http://www.stlouisfed.org/)
[v] National Bus Rapid Transit Institute, "Land Use Impacts of Bus Rapid Transit: Effects of BRT Station Proximity on Property Values along the Pittsburgh Martin Luther King, Jr. East Busway", http://www.nbrti.org/docs/pdf/Property%20Value%20Impacts%20of%20BRT_NBRTI.pdf
[vi] American Public Transportation Association, "Economic Impact of Public Transportation Investment", http://www.apta.com/resources/reportsandpublications/Documents/economic_impact_of_public_transportation_investment.pdf
[vii] Crain's Detroit Business, http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20070812/SUB/708130316
[viii] US Department of Transportation, National Household Travel Survey, http://nhts.ornl.gov/
[ix] Texas Transportation Institute, "2010 Urban Mobility Report". http://mobility.tamu.edu/ums/report/
[x] AAA, "Your Driving Costs, 2010 edition" http://www.aaaexchange.com/Assets/Files/201048935480.Driving%20Costs%202010.pdf
[xi] IndyGo, http://www.indygo.net/pages/go-green
[xii] National Public Radio, "Riders Who Take Mass Transit Regularly May Lose Weight", http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2010/06/30/128210165/riders_who_take_mass_transit_regularly_may_lose_weight
[xiii] Analysis of US Bureau of Transportation Statistics figures, http://www.bts.gov/publications/national_transportation_statistics/
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Saving money with transit
Gas prices are up more than 30 cents in the past two weeks, and more increases are reportedly on the way. How do commuters cope? In Central Indiana, there are several alternative transportation options that can save you money at the pump.
Do you know what you are spending on your commute? Use the Central Indiana Commuter Services Commute Cost Calculator to find out. Normally when we drive somewhere, we think about the cost in terms of the gallons of gasoline used. We don’t think about the money spent throughout the year on maintenance, replacement tires, or deprecation. Depreciation alone costs 23 cents per mile for the average-sized sedan. This figure is based on the AAA’s estimate that sedans decline in value by $3,554 per year (assuming 15,000 miles driven annually).
Local alternatives to commuting alone in your car include riding IndyGo, carpooling, vanpooling, bicycling, using on-demand transit in rural/suburban areas, or using Indy Express Bus if you live in Fishers or Carmel. There are savings to be found in each mode.
Do you know what you are spending on your commute? Use the Central Indiana Commuter Services Commute Cost Calculator to find out. Normally when we drive somewhere, we think about the cost in terms of the gallons of gasoline used. We don’t think about the money spent throughout the year on maintenance, replacement tires, or deprecation. Depreciation alone costs 23 cents per mile for the average-sized sedan. This figure is based on the AAA’s estimate that sedans decline in value by $3,554 per year (assuming 15,000 miles driven annually).
Local alternatives to commuting alone in your car include riding IndyGo, carpooling, vanpooling, bicycling, using on-demand transit in rural/suburban areas, or using Indy Express Bus if you live in Fishers or Carmel. There are savings to be found in each mode.
The commute from Carmel and Fishers to downtown Indianapolis is about 30 miles per round-trip. Indy Express Bus takes commuters from park-and-ride lots in those communities to several locations in downtown Indianapolis. The fare is $10 for a round trip, which is less than the $14.35 it would cost you to drive your own car, as shown in the graphic. This figure does not account for parking costs. Parking in a downtown Indianapolis garage usually costs around $80 to $120 per month. That’s $4 to $6 per day. Therefore, using Express Bus could save you over $200 on a monthly basis.
- Central Indiana Commuter Services (CICS) organizes carpools and vanpools throughout the Indy metro region. It’s easy to confidentially enter your home and worksite locations and work schedule in order to be matched with others who have the same commute. Click here to sign up. A common concern about carpooling is what happens when an emergency causes a member of a carpool to need to leave work early or late. The CICS Emergency Ride Home program offers free vouchers to registered carpoolers to take a taxi home up to five times per year.
- If you live in Indianapolis, it is likely that you live within walking distance of one of IndyGo’s 30 local routes. Monthly fare passes are $60 ($30 for students, seniors and people with disabilities) and can be purchased online, by phone at (317) 635-3344, on the bus with cash, or at the IndyGo retail center at 34 N. Delaware Street. 2-adult households can often get by owning just one car if one or both adults take the bus to work. The annual monthly pass cost of $720 is a lot easier on the budget than the $8,487 per year it costs to own and operate an average-sized sedan (according to the AAA). Fixed route bus service is also available in other Central Indiana communities, including Johnson County routes that connect with IndyGo at the county line.
- It is becoming easier to bicycle in Central Indiana, thanks to planned and existing trails and bikeways. Cycling to work has the added bonus of approximately 700 calories burned per hour. With a small investment in some gear, you could save money by forgoing the car and the gym, too. If you’re intimidated by the idea of changing a flat or performing other bike maintenance, try a class at Bicycle Garage Indy.
- Residents of outlying counties also have a transportation option in on-demand transit. To use this type of service, individuals must call to arrange a trip at least a day in advance. Availability is based on demand. Fares usually range from $2 to $5 per trip. Most on-demand transit providers in counties adjacent to Marion County will drop passengers off at IndyGo stops that are close to the county line.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Indy Express Bus
The Indy Express Bus began serving downtown Indianapolis-bound commuters from the communities of Carmel and Fishers on January 3, 2011. As non-renewable federal funding for IndyGo’s ICE routes came to an end, CIRTA and Miller Trailways formed a partnership to keep the popular transportation option going despite a lack of government funds. Miller Trailways stepped up to run the service without subsidization with fewer runs and increased fares. We’re happy to report that a loyal core ridership has kept on using service, and ridership has steadily grown over the first four weeks of operation. Now we’re ready to get more folks on the bus by improving passenger amenities and getting the word out!
A survey completed last week by Express Bus passengers yielded feedback that tells us how we are succeeding and where we can improve. 75% stated that they are highly likely to encourage someone else to use the service, with another 19% as somewhat likely. The #1-ranked reason that the respondents ride the Express Bus is “I don’t have to worry about driving.” Other reasons included financial savings (particularly on parking), environmental impact, avoiding wear/tear on vehicle, and the ability to get work done during the ride. A few respondents indicated that the availability of the bus meant that they/their family could go without buying a(nother) car. Requested changes had mostly to do with schedules and fare collection. Improvements are in the works for both.
What’s next for Indy Express Bus? First, we need to get the word out in order to build the ridership necessary to make the service financially sustainable in the long run. Got ideas for creative or low-cost promotional strategies? Please share them in the comment section below this post (or send to info@cirta.us). Future developments could include more routes for current Express Bus riders to choose from, service from other communities experiencing rush hour congestion, or reverse commute service traveling from the Indianapolis urban core to suburban locations with high numbers of jobs. Do you have your own ideas for commuter express service in the Central Indiana region? Share them here by leaving a comment.
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| Commuters debark in Fishers park-and-ride lot |
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| Indy Express Bus stop sign serving Carmel route |
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Transit testimonials
We've recently come across some great testimonials from individuals who have chosen to get around primarily by mass transit and/or bicycle rather than a personal car.
Chris Hrubesh, a senior video editor at CNN in Atlanta, says that trading in his car for a bicycle was one of the best decisions he's ever made. Check out what he has to say about the experience and watch him commute by bike on video. The benefits of this change include a ten-pound weight loss, a savings of $300-$500 per month, and the opportunity to demonstrate a car-free lifestyle to his son. Kudos to his employer for treating him to a free gym membership and transit passes in order to incentivize the decision to commute without a car. When Chris does want to drive, he rents a car by the week or borrows a Zipcar for an hour or two.
The Grist article "Why public transportation is good for kids" by Carla Saulter - AKA the SeattleBusChick - has been making the rounds on Twitter and Facebook. She and her husband have been car-free since 2003 - even after having two kids. Their toddler "took her first bus trip home from the hospital at one day old and has ridden almost daily ever since." We learned about the Seattle area's Undrivers movement through Carla's transit-focused blog. Her post explaining how she saves time by taking the bus instead of driving is eye-opening.
Over the past year, the American Public Transportation Association has gathered the testimonials of individuals whose lives have been positively impacted by public transportation. The APTA "Telling Our Story" campaign collected transit users' stories in an effort to demonstrate to the US Congress the importance of maintaining government support of transit services. This project produced a "video wall" of people speaking about the role of public transportation in their lives. Speakers include employers, riders with disabilities, students, transit agency employees and commuters.
Do you have a testimonial about using one of these transportation alternatives? Do you ride the bus to school, run errands on your bicycle, or carpool to work? Tell us your story by leaving a comment.
Chris Hrubesh, a senior video editor at CNN in Atlanta, says that trading in his car for a bicycle was one of the best decisions he's ever made. Check out what he has to say about the experience and watch him commute by bike on video. The benefits of this change include a ten-pound weight loss, a savings of $300-$500 per month, and the opportunity to demonstrate a car-free lifestyle to his son. Kudos to his employer for treating him to a free gym membership and transit passes in order to incentivize the decision to commute without a car. When Chris does want to drive, he rents a car by the week or borrows a Zipcar for an hour or two.
The Grist article "Why public transportation is good for kids" by Carla Saulter - AKA the SeattleBusChick - has been making the rounds on Twitter and Facebook. She and her husband have been car-free since 2003 - even after having two kids. Their toddler "took her first bus trip home from the hospital at one day old and has ridden almost daily ever since." We learned about the Seattle area's Undrivers movement through Carla's transit-focused blog. Her post explaining how she saves time by taking the bus instead of driving is eye-opening.
Over the past year, the American Public Transportation Association has gathered the testimonials of individuals whose lives have been positively impacted by public transportation. The APTA "Telling Our Story" campaign collected transit users' stories in an effort to demonstrate to the US Congress the importance of maintaining government support of transit services. This project produced a "video wall" of people speaking about the role of public transportation in their lives. Speakers include employers, riders with disabilities, students, transit agency employees and commuters.
Do you have a testimonial about using one of these transportation alternatives? Do you ride the bus to school, run errands on your bicycle, or carpool to work? Tell us your story by leaving a comment.
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