How to ride public transportation in Indianapolis

Indianapolis runs on one agency — IndyGo — with one fare that covers every local bus and both of its bus rapid transit (BRT) lines. There’s no separate airport fare and no second agency to figure out: if you can pay the IndyGo fare, you can ride anything in the system.

The basics

IndyGo’s network is built around local bus routes plus two BRT lines that run more like rail: frequent, dedicated-lane service with level-boarding stations.

• Red Line — the first BRT line, running 13 miles from Broad Ripple through downtown to the University of Indianapolis.
• Purple Line — the newer BRT line, running 15.2 miles from downtown out to the City of Lawrence on the east side.
• Local buses — dozens of numbered routes covering the rest of Marion County, including Route 8, which is also the bus to the airport.

A third BRT line, the Blue Line, is under construction and will eventually run 24 miles from downtown out to the airport on one end and the Town of Cumberland on the other — it’s expected to open in 2028, so for now the airport connection is Route 8.

How to pay

IndyGo’s fare system is called MyKey+, and you’ve got two ways to pay:

1. Tap a MyKey+ card or scan the MyKey+ app. Get a free reloadable card at the Care Center Desk at the Julia M. Carson Transit Center, or download the MyKey+ app and load a ticket into your phone’s wallet. Tap the card or scan the app’s QR code on the reader as you board. This is the only way to get fare capping (more below).
2. Pay cash on the bus. Exact change only — drivers and fareboxes can’t make change. A single ride is $2.75, or buy a blue-and-white paper day pass for $6.

One thing to know if you’re heading to a Red Line or Purple Line station: IndyGo is removing ticket vending machines from BRT stations as part of the MyKey+ rollout, so don’t count on being able to buy a fare at the platform — load a card or the app before you get there.

There’s no open-loop contactless bank-card tap (no tapping your own debit card or phone directly) — MyKey+ is the card/app system, and bank cards are only used to add money to it.

Fares

A single fare buys 2 hours of unlimited rides, including transfers between routes. Half fare applies to riders 65+ with Medicare, K-12 students, and riders with disabilities (free Half Fare ID card from IndyGo). Kids 5 and under ride free with a fare-paying adult.

With MyKey+, fares cap automatically: keep tapping the same card or scanning the same app ticket, and IndyGo stops charging once you hit $6.00 in a day or $24.75 in a week — no need to plan ahead or buy a pass.

Getting from the airport

Route 8 is the public bus between Indianapolis International Airport (IND) and downtown.

• Cost: the regular $2.75 IndyGo fare — pay cash on board or tap/scan MyKey+.
• Frequency: roughly every 30 minutes, seven days a week.

IndyGo doesn’t publish a travel-time estimate for Route 8, so budget extra time, especially around rush hour.

Apps to download

• MyKey+ — the official app for buying and managing your fare, loading a smart card, or carrying a ticket in your phone’s wallet.
• MyStop — IndyGo’s real-time bus tracker, with a browser version and a text-only option if you’d rather not install an app.

When it runs

• Red Line: every 15 minutes, 5am–1am, seven days a week.
• Purple Line: every 15–20 minutes at peak (about every 5 minutes where it overlaps the Red Line south of 38th Street); Monday–Friday 5am–1am, Saturday 6am–1am, Sunday 7am–10pm.
• Route 8 (airport): roughly every 30 minutes, seven days a week.

Local bus routes vary in span and frequency by route — check the specific route page on indygo.net before you head out.

Accessibility

Red Line and Purple Line stations have step-free, level boarding: a gradual ramp brings the platform up to the height of the bus floor, so there’s no gap or kneeling needed to get on.

IndyGo Access is the agency’s ADA paratransit service — a reservation-based, shared-ride service for riders whose disability prevents them from using a regular fixed-route bus independently. It covers all of Marion County (well beyond the federal ADA minimum of 3/4 mile from a route) and runs seven days a week on the same schedule as fixed-route service. Visitors can use it for up to 21 days in a rolling year with documentation from their home paratransit provider or a healthcare provider.

Etiquette & local quirks

• Exact change only. Cash-paying riders need the right amount — operators and fareboxes don’t give change.
• One MyKey+ card per rider. It can’t be tapped for a second person — everyone riding needs their own card or app ticket.
• BRT platforms, not the bus, is where you’ll tap at Red Line and Purple Line stations once ticket machines are removed — plan to arrive with a loaded card or app.

Good to know

• Payment systems change over time. If an older guide, map, or blog post mentions a pass or fare type that doesn’t match what’s above, check indygo.net — IndyGo has been actively updating its fare system.
• The Blue Line is coming, eventually. It’ll be IndyGo’s first direct rapid-transit line to the airport, but it isn’t expected to open until 2028 — Route 8 is the way there until then.
• IndyGo Access needs a reservation. It isn’t a same-day, walk-up option, so riders who use it should plan trips ahead of time.