IndyGo's board of directors Thursday night approved fare policy changes for the city's public transit system.
The board heard public comments before the vote. A number of residents voiced concern that customers of the company's Open Door service, a reservation-based ride share for people with disabilities, will no longer be able to ride the normal bus route for free.
Marsha Vorhis is an Open Door rider. She and other Open Door riders will be able to pay half-fare for fixed-route buses after the change, but Vorhis says that's still too much for low-income customers like herself.
"When I say I make a little, I do mean a little, and I don’t think that’s fair," Vorhis told board members. "And I want to say I don’t believe I am the only one in this room that would be affected by the cost, of even half-fare.”
Board member Tommie Jones responded to Vorhis and others by saying everyone in the community needs to pitch in if they want public transit to improve.
An IndyGo representative says a financial assessment will be conducted one year after the new policy takes effect, and says it will evaluate the policy's impact on low-income customers.
IndyGo says it currently serves about 6,000 riders who use Open Door.
The transit service will also transition to an account-based system, managed through a tap card and mobile phone app. Base fares for IndyGo will remain the same, at $1.75, but new fare caps mean account holders won’t be able to pay more than $4.00 a day and $15.75 a week.
The board approved the proposal with a unanimous vote. Fare changes are expected to go into effect this fall.
For a full look at the coming changes, you can read IndyGo's draft proposal.
