Whitestown Connector: survey response low but third-quarter ridership rebounds; Plainfield Lyft pilot draws interest

Amanda, an outreach staff member who identified herself as working with Serta, told the Whitestown Economic Improvement District board on Oct. 14 that a ridership survey drew only a handful of responses and that staff are using targeted outreach to learn more about who uses the Whitestown Connector.

The limited survey returns showed five respondents who provided ZIP-code-level home locations (46203, 46204, 46218 and 46224), and two agreed to follow-up interviews, Amanda said. “It is like pulling teeth right now to get anybody to complete surveys,” she told the board, noting outreach included flyers on buses, newsletters, social posts and an incentive drawing for a $50 gift.

Why it matters: The Connector is positioned as a workforce route linking jobseekers to higher-paying employers in Whitestown and nearby Plainfield and Hendricks County. Understanding when and where riders board helps route planning and scheduling, particularly for evening and overnight shifts described by several respondents.

Board members heard that most survey respondents reported boarding at the downtown Transit Center, with a smaller number saying they start at Lafayette Square Mall. Employer locations named by respondents included Regofix, Delco Foods, Pitney Bowes, Hershey and a CSL warehouse. Reported work hours varied widely, including overnight hours, which Amanda said may indicate that some riders use the Connector to get to work and rely on other transportation home.

Separately, board members reviewed how Plainfield’s Economic Improvement District has used a Lyft pilot to provide local, short-distance trips that complement longer connector service. Amanda said the Lyft program is run by the Plainfield EID and not Whitestown’s EID. “The Lyft program is specifically something they are doing. We have nothing to do with it,” she said, adding she sits in Plainfield board meetings and can report on the pilot’s progress. Plainfield recently capped its Lyft subsidy at $25 per ride amid rising costs, Amanda said.

Outreach activity and marketing: EID staff reported significant direct marketing in the summer, with about 25,000 mailers sent in the summer months and another 25,000 targeted to low-income households. Staff said they are presenting at an HR business roundtable in November to promote the Connector directly to employer HR representatives and are distributing personalized postcards through nonprofit partners that work with jobseekers, such as Wheeler Mission and United Way.

Ridership and vendor performance: Quarterly data shared with the board showed 846 total riders in July, a dip to 554 in August, and 720 in September. The board said the July–September pattern reflects typical month-to-month variability and credited outreach for the rebound in September. Todd Barker said the three-quarter totals exceed the same period in 2024 by more than 100 riders.

The board also praised the Connector’s vendor, Go Express, for customer service. Amanda described an incident in which a dispatcher went to pick up a passenger after a scheduling error; she said the responsiveness exceeded prior vendor experiences.

Next steps discussed included continuing periodic rider surveys (quarterly or bi-monthly), pursuing follow-up interviews with the two riders who agreed to speak, exploring whether a Lyft-style localized subsidy could augment Connector service, and continuing employer-facing outreach.

Quotes used in this article come from named meeting participants and are drawn from the Oct. 14 Whitestown EID meeting transcript.