Federal funds will cover 40% of IndyGo's New $350 Million Bus Rapid Transit Line

Federal funding for IndyGo’s Blue Line is coming to Indianapolis. This week, the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded nearly $150 million for the construction of Indianapolis’s third Bus Rapid Transit line.

The federal grant will cover about 40% of the cost for the new route.

It’s taken years of planning and push back to get the Blue Line to this point. Legislators have debated numerous bills over the past few sessions that could have impacted the federal funding by delaying or altering plans.

A major draw of the BRT lines is the new infrastructure it creates. Miles of repaved roads, new sidewalks and crosswalks will be built. 

The Blue Line project will create more frequent service with the use of a dedicated lane along Washington St. The route provides east-west service from Cumberland to the Indianapolis International Airport with 30 new stations. 

“With enhanced reliability, greater frequency, and comfort, this expansion guarantees that every resident and visitor has access to vital hubs in Indianapolis, which is particularly gratifying to see in my home state,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement.

The Blue Line will be the city’s third bus rapid transit. The Red Line opened in 2019 and the Purple Line launched last fall. Construction is scheduled to start this year. 

“This is the third and final planned BRT route, which collectively with the Red and Purple Lines, will serve as the backbone for our entire transit system,” IndyGo President and CEO Jennifer Pyrz said in a statement.

The Blue Line is expected to cost upwards of $350 million. Additional funding will come from a transit income tax first approved by voters in 2016, city money and other federal grants.

Contact WFYI city government and policy reporter Jill Sheridan at jsheridan@wfyi.org.