Indianapolis to Upgrade Bus Stops to 'Super Stops'

IndyGo, Indianapolis's transit agency, will build several enhanced bus stops as part of a partnership with the Indianapolis Department of Public Works. Dubbed "Super Stops," the new bus stops will feature shelter, a raised platform for improved access and visibility, information screens, and ticketing machines. The 90-foot long, elevated boarding platforms will accommodate more riders and make it easier to enter and exit buses. The changes will affect some of the city's busiest bus stops and serve as a model for future improvements.

The first two stops will be built as part of the reconstruction of Delaware Street, which will also create a bus-and-turn lane and install a new two-way segment on Fort Wayne Avenue to make turns easier for buses traveling down Delaware. "That lane of Delaware Street has buses in it so often that it essentially acts as a de facto bus lane already," Austin Gibble of IndyGo told the Indianapolis Star. The agency hopes that officially designating the lane for buses, along with other tweaks, will reduce travel time and increase reliability for riders. The new electronic ticketing system, once up and running, will reduce the need for cash payments and offer a free digital transit card (physical cards cost $2).

The first two stops begin construction in early 2021, and the city plans to install six more Super Stops in high-traffic downtown areas.