I assume you are referring to economic stimulus funds coming in 2009? The details remain sketchy but we have several projects ready to go including buying new buses and moving forward with improvements to Riehle Plaza’s bus transfer center. Economic stimulus monies cannot be used for operating expenses.

For question 2, nearly all buses are wheelchair accessible. We do have a few older buses still in service as back up buses which are not accessible. ADA allows transit providers 30 minutes to provide an accessible ride if a passenger with a disability encounters a non-accessible vehicle, or if there is a malfunction in the accessiblity equipment. This rarely happens anymore.

CityBus is considering how to meet needs throughout the community, including the area of 231 S. CityBus is challenged by increasing costs and constrained budgets, however, which limit our abilty to grow in a manner that keeps pace with “sprawl.” Grants are available, and we have used some of these grants to extend service, but we must do so very cautiously. If the grant dries up, we don’t want to be in a position of having to discontinue service. (Indianapolis IndyGo is dealing with that issue right now. Grants funding night service have disappeared so they are suffering the fallout of negative P.R. because service is being discontinued.)

We have used a Federal Grant called Job Access Reverse Commute (JARC) to fund the route 6B extension to Wal-Mart and Benjamin Crossing. Similar grants are being considered to extend service possibly to the Clarian-Arnett hospital, as well as other possible service extensions, or adding night service.

If you want to make a formal request for service, please do so using our web site’s “Comments” form. See http://www.gocitybus.com/commentscomplaints.html

Thank you.

John Metzinger
Development Manager/CityBus

2-Are all of your busses equipped with wheelchair access?

Would you consider bus service to the South all the way out 231 and have “park and ride” parking lots for the users of the bus service? Perhaps some existing land is available or existing merchants would agree to assign an area of their parking lot

Not only would this allow people living in that area to get around and save gasoline but it would allow those of us in the City to get to friends, stores, service providers, family living in that area, etc to be more mobile if we want to save on gas or don’t drive or are handicapped.

Maybe there might be ADA grants as well as transportation grants available for this