IndyGo Opens New East Campus Headquarters

IndyGo, Indianapolis, IN, held a grand opening of its new East Campus headquarters recently. FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez, Rep. André ­Carson (D-IN), local dignitaries and other industry representatives, including APTA VP of Workforce Development and Educational Services Carita Ducre, were there to celebrate the agency’s expansion and investment in the Far Eastside community.

“IndyGo’s new facility marks a huge step forward for transit in Indianapolis,” said Administrator Fernandez, whose agency has provided federal support for IndyGo’s BRT system and construction of the new facility. “In the short term, IndyGo’s operations will become much more efficient, but even more exciting is how the new campus will facilitate the transition to a fully zero-emission bus fleet.”

The new, 110,000-square-foot building will accommodate the agency’s planned bus storage and maintenance facility. This will provide space for 40-foot hybrid and 60-foot electric vehicles as IndyGo’s fleet continues to expand in anticipation of the upcoming BRT route, the Purple Line. The new location on the city’s Far Eastside also offers increased operational efficiency. More than 70 percent of the agency’s employees live on this side of the city, and several routes end on the east side. This positions IndyGo where potential job applicants live, making the agency a more accessible and attractive workplace.

“In moving to the Far Eastside, IndyGo is demonstrating its commitment to the community, placing its new home and headquarters where many of its employees and riders reside,” said IndyGo President and CEO Inez Evans. “As the Purple Line continues to progress toward completion, we are putting our money where our mouth is by embracing the surrounding neighborhoods we serve daily as our own. We are very excited about this new space, but it is not only our new home, but the community’s new home.”

The building also incorporates state-of-the-art training facilities for drivers. One of the biggest features of the facility is the IndyGo Academy, which includes four driving simulators programmed with scenarios specific to IndyGo. The academy also includes a mock bus to train drivers on how to secure passengers in mobility-­assisted devices, without the need to pull a bus out of revenue service, and an extended outdoor CDL training course.

“Any transit agency would be excited to have a driving simulator, but to have four is a real gift!” said APTA’s Ducre. “Those simulators allow operators in training to learn in real-world situations and allow veteran operators to retrain, as needed. Adults learn best when they can actively participate and apply their previous knowledge and experience to a situation. The simulators allow for that.”