After years of planning, IndyGo announces Blue Line design process complete

IndyGo’s long-awaited Blue Line is one step closer to completion. IndyGo recently announced that the design process for the new bus rapid transit line is complete.

The route will cover 24 miles primarily along Washington Street and will provide service from the Indianapolis International Airport to Cumberland. The project comes with significant infrastructure improvements. Those include resurfacing of roadways, safety improvements, traffic signals and stormwater drainage. There will be 30 stations along the planned route.

“We've worked diligently these past few years to adapt and ensure this project will benefit everyone traveling along the corridor, whether you're a rider, driver or pedestrian. Now, we can enter a new phase where we begin constructing stronger bus service between the airport, downtown and our historic East Washington Street neighborhoods, while improving safety for all,” IndyGo President and CEO Jennifer Pyrz said in a press release.

Plans were almost complete one year ago when IndyGo held a number of public presentation meetings. That was before the 2024 legislative session.

IndyGo’s Blue Line has faced years of pushback from state lawmakers. The project was saved earlier this year when legislators reached a compromise with local officials that allowed the project to continue. The original bill would have effectively killed the Blue Line.

The project is set to receive around $140 million in federal funding. An additional $22 million is being provided to help IndyGo add dedicated bus lanes and improve infrastructure along the route.

The Blue Line will be IndyGo’s third bus rapid transit project. The Red Line opened in 2019 and the Purple Line is set to open next month. IndyGo said it expects construction on the Blue Line to begin in early 2025 and expects it to open 2027-28.