Micro-transit initiative launches on far Eastside to bridge transportation gaps

Public transit in Indianapolis is developing, but accessibility gaps remain. A new micro-transit pilot project will begin on the city’s far Eastside this Saturday.

“Driven to Success,” is designed to bridge gaps in accessibility and transportation. People living on the far Eastside of Indianapolis will be able to schedule rides from their door to anywhere within a 10-mile radius.

City-County Councilor La Keisha Jackson (D-14) is a leader for the Driven to Success project. She said she expects the initiative to improve access to food, employment, and other crucial resources for Eastside residents.

“With the crime rate, the poverty rate the mobility issues for seniors and other residents on the far east side,” Jackson said. “It is a perfect area to test this pilot program.”

Trips cost $2 each way and $4 round trip. Veterans ride free until the end of the year.

Jackson said residents living in zip codes 46219, 46229, 46226 and 46235 will be eligible to use the program.

Driven to Success is a collaborative effort with IndyGo, Pathway Resource Center and United Way of Central Indiana. Fifteen ADA accessible buses have been donated by IndyGo.

Representatives from each organization will hand out bus vouchers and other resources this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Pathway Resource Center.