Comments on: Get on the Bus

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 18:48:51 +0000

Hey if kids in New York City are smart enough to ride public transportation to school, then I'm sure Indy kids are too!

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 13:48:51 +0000

Hey if kids in New York City are smart enough to ride public transportation to school, then I'm sure Indy kids are too!

By: Dobie

Dobie — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:19:30 +0000

Why are schools delivering “non instructional services” at all? The purpose of a school is to educate – not provide transportation, free meals, health screenings, or anything else.

Some of these programs are excellent (free school lunches for needy children to name just one) – but they should not be offered by schools. We have a Health and Human Services agencies – let them do their job, and let schools get back to educating children.

By: busrider

busrider — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 04:33:53 +0000

Abdul, this would be a great idea if we had a bus system that reflected the size and needs of our city. We do not and from what I've seen never will. It's not just a matter of funding either, one could throw the entire IPS transportation budget to Indygo and it wouldn't matter. Despite what some say, this city does NOT value public transportation and unless that attitude changes all the money in the state isn't going to matter.

By: pascal

pascal — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:27:22 +0000

http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20090826/NE... but isn't the necessity to transport born from school consolidation efforts jammed down the parent's throat by liars who promised benefits of consolidation? Note: the benefits never arrived and government schools declined in all areas of measured academic performance. Cause and Effect? In part, the answer must be YES. Of course, a better method of balancing budgets would be for teachers to pay the same out of pocket expenses for health care insurance as the average taxpayer with health care insurance….leaving aside many taxpayers who don't have employer provided insurance. Of course, with school boards larded with the same group plan it isn't likely…..or is it? If the legislature would clamp down on these part time employees getting full time benefits then oversight might return, or, cap health care costs at some number like $8,000 a year and all the school budgets would be in the black.

By: nightstick29

nightstick29 — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 01:13:33 +0000

Why not refuse bus transportation to the little darlings who live within a certain proximity of the school, use the savings to build sidewalks along busy streets, and have them walk their little buns to school? This would also help the state's obesity problem.

By: indyknow

indyknow — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:11:11 +0000

IndyGo CEO Mike Terry has campaigned for this with IPS more than once. The increase in ridership would help IndyGo with more state and federal funds. Before you comment about IndyGo's system you have to understand how it's funded. Indy is the 13th largest city in N. America but the size of it's budget and operation is 99th. The staff at IndyGo realizes that the hub and spoke system is archaic and ineffecient, however there is no way to with the current funding model to expand the system to a grid type that is seen in other cities. IndyGo's budget was 51 Million this past year, Cincinnati, Louisvile and Columbus OH, all cities much smaller than Indy, have budgets in the 90-100 million range. Unfortunately you get what you pay for. IndyGo is recognized in the public transit community as one of the most effiecient transit's in the country. No one does more with less than IndyGo. The average mangament to employee percentage in most Transit operations is 15% IndyGo does it with 5%. IndyGo is the model that all the others municipal corporations in Indy should follow.

By: Ms. Cynical

Ms. Cynical — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:20:43 +0000

My family lives more than 3 miles from the nearest bus stop (and, of course, the route doesn't go any where near the high school).

By: Matt Stone

Matt Stone — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:48:19 +0000

Unfortunately, I can think of several reasons why this won't work. A number of my friends, when I was still in high school, were in some special program that they could choose which high school to go to. So many people living in the downtown area chose to go to Broad Ripple High School. They usually had to drive there or arrange other transportation.

At IUPUI, we have these IndyGo buses called the Red Line, which provide transportation with no cost to IUPUI students, and probably those who work at the hospitals too. But it's only around the IUPUI and hospital campuses, and to some parts of downtown. It's not some way to get home, or anywhere else.

By: IndyErnie

IndyErnie — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:16:20 +0000

This idea isn't new. In the 60's IPS students used the city buses at a reduced fare. I rode one to Jr High and HS.