Passenger Bus, Rail and Motorcoach Industry News

National public transportation awareness day encourages people to “dump the pump” by parking their car and riding public transit instead.

In February, the transit agency launched frequent service on its core lines, added weekend service and lengthened some hours of service.

Ridership has slowly grown from just over eight million in 2009 to 10.2 million in 2012, with that growth continuing or holding reasonably steady over the first few months of 2013.

Through the new Employment Contract Program, candidates aren’t required to hold a Class B Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) with the proper endorsements to be considered for employment. IndyGo will offer free CDL training and certification through a contract with a local CDL school.

The Plainfield Connector will provide transportation to worksites in industrial parks and the Metropolis mall in Plainfield, Ind. The shuttle is a three-year demonstration project being funded through a Congestion Mitigation Air Quality grant.

While a $3 million federal grant had covered the subsidized cost of the service for nearly five years, the cash-strapped agency took over payment — about $700,000 a year — two years ago.

JARC helps fund employment-related transportation services and activities for low-income individuals, while the New Freedom program supports transportation options for people with disabilities that are beyond those required by the American Disabilities Act.

Transit officials and business leaders are teaming up to lobby the General Assembly to put a referendum to voters within the next two years to fund transit. Republicans are opposed, saying the timing is not right.

All students are eligible for the annual passes, with the funds coming from a general fee assessed to the students by IUPUI. Usage has continued to grow each year, doubling from 12,534 in June 2008 to 25,869 in June 2010.

Agency managed to procure the 22 replacement buses from Gillig using grant dollars, local funds and stimulus money designated through the Federal Transit Administration formula grant program as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.