New bus route to Ivy Tech, TASUS, Cook to launch soon in Bloomington
Bloomington Transit is launching a new bus route next year that local officials are describing as a “historic development.”
What’s the new Bloomington bus route?
Route 13 will run from the Downtown Transit Center to previously unserved areas, including low-income housing developments on West Vernal Pike, new developments in the Park Square and Curry Pike areas and Park 48 including major local employers such as Cook and Ivy Tech Community College.
You can find more details at bloomingtontransit.com/13-park-48-ivy-tech/
When will Bloomington’s new bus route launch?
Route 13 will launch Jan. 2.
When and how often will Bloomington’s new bus route run?
The roughly hour-long route will run 12 times per day each weekday, with the first trip leaving the transit center at 6:40 a.m. and the final trip returning to the center at 6:30 p.m. The bus that leaves at 6:40 a.m. will arrive at Ivy Tech at about 7:04 a.m.
Why do local leaders believe the new bus route is significant?
Christopher Emge, director of advocacy and public policy for the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, said the expansion marks a “historic development,” as it required collaboration among multiple government entities.
“Route 13 will enhance access to employment hubs like Park 48 and educational institutions such as Ivy Tech Community College, facilitating workforce mobility and supporting local businesses,” Emge said via email. “Improved public transit connectivity can lead to increased opportunities in the area. It will increase worker participation and provide a better means for residents to take advantage of the career opportunities that Ivy Tech offers.”
Shelley Strimaitis, planning and special projects manager for Bloomington Transit, said transit officials met with some of the employers in the area a few months ago, and they indicated lack of transit options is preventing some people from being able to work in that area.
Strimaitis also said Ivy Tech has requested a route to campus for a while, as some students now are using Route 3 West, but that route’s nearest stop, at South Park Square Drive and West Belle Avenue, still leaves them about 0.6 miles from the college.
Erik Coyne, chancellor of Ivy Tech’s Bloomington campus, said about 1,100 Monroe County residents take classes at the campus at least once a week, and he has heard many students express excitement about the new route.
“I think this is going to have a huge impact for Ivy Tech and the entire Park 48 businesses,” he said.
Coyne could not say how many Ivy Tech students in Monroe County are already taking the bus, but he said the new route will make taking the bus an option for a greater number of students.
“It will make a meaningful difference in the lives of our students,” he said.
Omar Aly, a business administration student, said he looks forward to being able to ride the bus all the way to campus. He said it will be especially helpful during bad weather in winter.
“I think it’s great,” he said.
Aly lives in Highland Village, about three minutes from a bus stop, and he said being able to ride the bus to school as well as his job at Roly Poly on the Ivy Tech campus, will make things a lot easier.
Aly does not have a car, as his was destroyed in an accident last winter, and he said having access to a bus route helps him save a lot of time and money.
Without a bus route, quite a few students probably would not be able to go to Ivy Tech, he said.
Why did it take so long for Bloomington Transit to serve that area?
Local law prohibited Bloomington Transit from serving areas outside of the city until the city council passed a resolution in 2023.
Emge said, “The Chamber hopes this achievement will bolster ongoing city and county cooperation, strengthening relationships and setting a foundation for future regional initiatives.”
In a news release, Julie Thomas, president of the Monroe County commissioners, called the route “a wonderful opportunity to extend county-city collaboration into the world of transit.”
How much does it cost to operate Route 13?
The new route will cost $317,652 to operate annually, and the county will pay 44% of the cost, or $177,885, because 44% of the route is outside of Bloomington city limits, according to BT.
How will Bloomington Transit measure the route’s success?
Strimaitis said Bloomington Transit will be tracking how many people use the route and will analyze the data sometime after six months to make sure ridership is growing and to determine whether changes and/or more outreach are needed.
The transit authority has not established a ridership number to determine the route’s success, she said, as different routes see a vastly different number of riders. Some routes get about 10 riders per hour on average, but downtown and campus routes can see 70 riders per hour.
Emge said chamber officials believe the route will serve some major employers, though the bulk of the riders likely will be Ivy Tech students and staff.
“This will take a while to build the ridership,” he said. “This should not be judged over a one-year period.”
He also said ridership and revenue sources should determine whether greater frequency than one bus per hour is warranted.
Emge said the new route is a good start as it operates during standard business hours, even if it may not help people working earlier or later shifts.
“We should not look at Route 13 as the silver bullet for all transit needs in the Park 48 area,” he said.
BT General Manager John Connell said in a news release that the new route is “an exciting first step toward transforming Bloomington Transit into a provider of regional mobility options.”
Boris Ladwig can be reached at [email protected].
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