Accessible

Designed specifically to make commuting convenient for passengers — with fast, frequent operation — the Purple Line is poised to provide better access to work, education, healthcare, restaurants, entertainment and shopping. It offers an equitable alternative to driving for people of all ages and serves as a cornerstone of transportation options for Indianapolis and central Indiana.

Efficient

The Purple Line is the next stage of our BRT system, providing increased frequency, reliability, comfort and convenience at a fraction of the cost of light rail. But unlike far-spaced light rail, the permanence of BRT infrastructure along the corridor supports increased private investment, contributing to increased economic opportunity and quality of life.

Infrastructure

This is more than transit. The Purple Line is a massive infrastructure project, with more than half of the budget addressing the condition of the roadway, pedestrian facilities and drainage. The project means critical upgrades to infrastructure in communities that need it most along the east 38th Street and Post Road corridors. It includes new and improved sidewalks, ADA curb ramps, multi-use pathways, storm sewer separation and more.

Watch to see how the Purple Line will transform Indy’s Eastside.

Purple Line Project Map

The Purple Line brings it all together, extending 15.2 miles between Indianapolis and the City of Lawrence. The Purple Line runs through several neighborhoods, past major employers, cultural institutions and healthcare and educational facilities with fast, frequent and reliable service.

Mon – Fri
5 a.m. – 1 a.m. every 10-15 minutes

Sat
6 a.m. – 1 a.m. every 10-15 minutes

Sun
7 a.m. – 10 p.m. every 10-15 minutes

Purple Line Photo Gallery

BRT Red Line Bus

Riding the Rapid Purple Line

The rapid Purple Line will increase convenience, frequency and reliability, while improving travel times and decreasing wait times.

The 60-foot articulated, fully electric Purple Line transit vehicles work seamlessly with with rapid transit operation on IndyGo’s BRT lines, with doors opening on either side of the bus, and reaching increased ranges with innovative inductive charging.

Instead of bike racks on the front of the bus, Purple Line buses have onboard bicycle storage, meaning those with a bicycle should board at the door nearest the bike storage area. New level boarding platforms allow you to roll your bicycle on and off with ease.

New Rapid Transit Stations

IndyGo reimagined the conventional “bus stop” with specific attention to making the experience convenient for passengers and ensuring fast and frequent operation. The Purple Line’s new rapid transit stations feature:

  • New in-median locations.
  • Ticket vending machines (cash/credit/debit) that speed the boarding process.
  • Digital screens displaying real-time arrival information for the next bus.
  • Level station access in accordance with the American Disabilities Act.
  • Flush, step-free, bus-height boarding platforms.
  • Well-lit boarding areas, security cameras and “blue-light” emergency phones.
  • Wind screens and drip-free roof eaves for better weather protection.

Upgraded Rider Experience

A Purple Line rapid transit vehicle will arrive at each station every 10 minutes during peak service. The Purple Line overlaps the Red Line south of 38th Street to the Transit Center with buses arriving every five minutes at those stops.

Features such as pre-board ticketing get you on the bus quickly, while transit-only lanes and signal priority at busy intersections allow the Purple Line to maintain its speed and frequency when other vehicles are being delayed by congestion or traffic incidents.

Riding the Purple Line is a more efficient, more convenient IndyGo experience — with a rapid transit emphasis on “go.”

Connecting Neighborhoods

Nearly all the neighborhoods along the Purple Line corridor were once served by streetcars and/or the interurban, and the urban form of these neighborhoods were influenced — and often driven by — these transportation modes. The Purple Line replicates this service. Connecting Downtown Indy and Lawrence will help bring the community together and return it to the bustling, thriving days of the past.

Infrastructure Improvements

Aside from transit travel time and safety improvements, the Purple Line is a massive infrastructure project, with more than half of the budget addressing the condition of the roadway, pedestrian facilities and drainage.

Transit riders start and end every trip as pedestrians. The Purple Line project includes sidewalk construction and improvements, upgraded curb ramps, new crosswalks and new pedestrian signals. There will also be three miles of multi-use path for both pedestrians and bicycle riders along the north side of 38th Street from Tacoma to Sheridan (3.2 miles in length). This will provide a connection to the Fall Creek Greenway and fill a large gap in the bicycle network.

Because the project runs along city streets, Indianapolis also benefits from re-surfacing and storm sewer work that will take place along with other improvements, including:

  • 25 new or upgraded traffic signals
  • 3 miles of multi-use path
  • Add or repair 9.5 miles of sidewalk infrastructure
  • 392 new curb ramps
  • 51,700 linear feet of storm sewer
  • 26.6 lane miles of resurfacing

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