More than 27,000 Marion County residents will access employment, health care with free bus passes

A free bus pass program will help nearly 80 nonprofits increase public transit accessibility for their clients.

The IndyGo Foundation granted more than 27,000 passes, with support from the PNC Foundation.  The passes will help vulnerable populations travel for employment, food and health care.

Executive Director of the IndyGo Foundation Emily Meaux said she believes access to those services is a human right.

“We believe the work that we're doing is helping people get to where they need to go, without having to worry about how to pay for the bus pass,” Meaux said.

The nonprofits received seven-day and monthly passes. Currently, 31 day passes cost passengers $60.

Jason Eckerle, the PNC Foundation’s regional president of Central and Southern Indiana, said community access to transit must also include underserved populations.

“It helps improve their quality of life and helps improve their health, wellness and economic mobility,” he said.

The grant program started in 2021, and this year marks the largest number of recipients. Nonprofits who received passes this year included the Central Indiana Community Foundation, the Damien Center, and the Indy Black Chamber of Commerce.

The IndyGo Foundation will also start a pilot program focused on workforce development, to determine if people will stay employed if they have access to transit.

Contact WFYI criminal justice reporter Katrina Pross at kpross@wfyi.org. Follow on Twitter: @katrina_pross.

Pross is a Corps Member of Report for America, an initiative of The GroundTruth Project.