IndyGo cuts jobs, services to trim budget

IndyGo, Indianapolis' bus system, unveiled a new restructuring proposal Tuesday that would increase fares, lay off employees and reduce services. Proposed changes include an 25-cent increase in bus fares for a single trip, typically $1, according to The Indianapolis Star. Officials say 37 weekday routes would be cut down to 23, with weekend routes being reduced as well. Meanwhile, routes that show a potential growth in ridership would increase frequency, said the paper. In addition, all bus service after 10:30p.m. on weekdays will be cut, except for three routes. The proposals, set to go into effect mid March, also include eliminating 14% of the transit system's employees--most of them bus drivers. The services reductions and fare increases are necessary, according to officials, to offset an estimated $2.7 million from an operating budget that will be nearly $4 million in the red this year. IndyGo currently operates on a $35 million budget, which does not include money set aside for capital expenditures.