IndyGo hopes new ‘conveniently located’ bus facility entices drivers
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — On Friday, IndyGo officially opened its new 110,000-square-foot facility on East 33rd Street in Indianapolis.
“We were outgrowing our current headquarters at 1501 W. Washington, so we needed a place where our employees could safely spread out,” said Carrie Black, a spokesperson for the government bus service.
With the added space, drivers can practice maneuvers on a simulator. There is also a course where drivers who want to earn their commercial driver’s licenses can practice.
IndyGo is expecting a new batch of 30 buses for the bus rapid-transit Purple Line; those should arrive later in August. The new campus has plenty of room to store those busses.
“We are really looking to expand our fleet to battery electric vehicles and we need a place to store those vehicles. We need a place for the charging infrastructure,” Black said.
The campus was paid for in part with a grant from the Federal Transit Administration.
U.S. Rep. André Carson, a Democrat from Indianapolis, was part of Friday’s ribbon-cutting. “Transit isn’t just about getting us to and from locations. It’s about getting us to and from health care, entertainment, loved ones, groceries, jobs.”
Earlier this summer, IndyGo consolidated some routes due to a driver shortage. The agency’s leaders hope the new facility will entice drivers to apply.
The new facility is at 9503 E. 33rd St. That’s east of North Post Road on the city’s far-east side.
“We feel that we are conveniently located to folks who may want to apply to work here, so just that proximity of having your workplace be right here in your community,” Black said.
On July 1, IndyGo began offering $3,000 sign-on bonuses to new drivers and mechanics.