Federal funding for IndyGo’s Blue Line is coming to Indianapolis. This week, the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded nearly $150 million for the construction of Indianapolis’s third Bus Rapid Transit line.
The federal grant will cover about 40% of the cost for the new route.
A major draw of the BRT lines is the new infrastructure it creates. Miles of repaved roads, new sidewalks and crosswalks will be built.
The Blue Line project will create more frequent service with the use of a dedicated lane along Washington St. The route provides east-west service from Cumberland to the Indianapolis International Airport with 30 new stations.
“With enhanced reliability, greater frequency, and comfort, this expansion guarantees that every resident and visitor has access to vital hubs in Indianapolis, which is particularly gratifying to see in my home state,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement.
“This is the third and final planned BRT route, which collectively with the Red and Purple Lines, will serve as the backbone for our entire transit system,” IndyGo President and CEO Jennifer Pyrz said in a statement.
The Blue Line is expected to cost upwards of $350 million. Additional funding will come from a transit income tax first approved by voters in 2016, city money and other federal grants.