Beginning Oct. 1, Central Indiana Regional Transportation Authority (CIRTA) will provide transportation to worksites in industrial parks and the Metropolis mall in Plainfield, Ind.

Operating during peak commuting times in the morning and evening on weekdays, the Plainfield Connector will pick up commuters at the IndyGo Route 8 stop, bringing workers to major employers, including Amazon, Brightpoint, DJO, Ryder, and Ozburn Hessey Logistics.

The cost to ride will be $1 and a valid IndyGo pass. Riders who do not have an IndyGo pass will pay $3 in exact change.

The Plainfield Connector builds on the success of the CIRTA’s Indy Express Bus connecting Carmel and Fishers to downtown Indianapolis workplaces. Each week, approximately 600 commuters use that service, which also operates during peak times on weekdays.

Launched in response to requests from Westside employers and social service providers, the Plainfield Connector connects to IndyGo’s Route 8, which travels along West Washington Street to connect the Westside to downtown. Commuters who live on other bus routes can connect to the Route 8 and ride it to the Westside to reach the Plainfield Connector.

“With all of the jobs being added each month in the Plainfield industrial parks, our employers need access to workers who live throughout the Indianapolis metro area,” said Plainfield Town Manager Rich Carlucci. “The Plainfield Connector will not only help workers get to jobs, but it also will make Central Indiana an even more attractive place to locate a company.”

Bingaman said collaboration was integral to bringing the Plainfield Connector into being.

Among the organizations contributing to the effort were the Hendricks County Economic Development Partnership, the Plainfield Town Council, the Plainfield Chamber of Commerce, Central Indiana Regional Workforce Board, Hendricks College Network, IndyGo and Commuter Connect.

The Plainfield Connector is a three-year demonstration project being funded through a Congestion Mitigation Air Quality grant. Its launch follows just a few months after CIRTA started an Indy Express Bus reverse commute that allows workers to travel from downtown Indianapolis to workplaces in Carmel and Fishers. That route is funded by a Job Access Reverse Commute grant.