Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly welcomed today’s news that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) signed a Small Starts Grant Agreement for $75 million for the IndyGo Red Line project, bringing the project one step closer to fruition. Donnelly has supported and advocated for this project over the past several years. Among his efforts, he backed the IndyGo application in 2015 and helped IndyGo navigate the application process. In addition, he has consistently supported federal funding for the Capital Investment Grants Program (CIG) and pushed for assurances FTA would continue to implement the program, despite the Administration’s budget request to stop funding new projects through the Capital Investment Grants Program. Recently, he stressed the importance of the Capital Investment Grants Program and consequences of FTA delaying funding during a Senate hearing.

Donnelly said, “Today’s signed agreement that provides a major federal grant to the IndyGo Red Line project brings us one step closer to getting this important project underway. I was proud to support this effort, which will improve Indianapolis’ infrastructure and public transportation for residents, while also promoting continued economic growth.”

Mike Terry, IndyGo President and CEO, said, “Thank you to Senator Donnelly for his ongoing support of transit and working to secure the federal grant necessary to make the Red Line a reality. We are eager to move forward with final preparations to begin construction.”

The Project is a proposed 13.1-mile bus rapid transit (BRT) line, where 7.7 miles of the route will operate within exclusive or semi-exclusive bus lanes and the remaining 5.4 miles will operate in mixed traffic. The Project will operate from Broad Ripple Village in the north, through Downtown Indianapolis, and terminate at the University of Indianapolis in the south. Along the corridor, 27 new stations will be constructed, comprising 20 center boarding platform stations and seven curbside station pairs, plus a stop at the existing Julia M. Carson Transit Center in Downtown Indianapolis, for a total of 28 stations served. All new stations will feature real-time arrival displays, off-board fare collection, level boarding, and security features. Thirteen, 60-foot articulated electric buses will be purchased as part of the Project and Transit Signal Priority (TSP) installed along the route. IndyGo estimates that construction of this project will create approximately 325 jobs.

For information on how Senator Donnelly’s office can assist cities, municipalities, and groups applying for federal grants, please visit https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/help/grants.

###