Whitestown board approves Connector redesign, shifts connection to 30 Eighth Street and trims underused stops

The Whitestown Economic Improvement Board on a voice vote approved a redesign of the Whitestown Connector that would reduce the route’s stops from 15 to 12 and change its primary Indigo connection point from Trader’s Point to 30 Eighth Street.

The change, presented by Amanda Meyer of Serta’s mobility management team, is intended to increase ridership by consolidating underused stops and improving transfer frequency with Indigo buses. Meyer told the board, “we would love to implement this beginning June 2,” and described a plan that includes a public meeting and a bus-based survey to collect rider ZIP-code and employer information.

Board members and staff said the proposal aims to shorten cycle time and take advantage of two Indigo buses that serve the 30 Eighth Street location, which runs at 30-minute frequency, instead of the single Indigo route at Trader’s Point. The presentation included an average daily ridership analysis and a new route map showing removed stops including the Shops at Whitestown and Meijer, plus lower-ridership stops such as Park 130 and Anson Acres. Philip Roth, a vendor contractor who described himself as working with Serta’s mobility program, said he began work the same day the Connector started: “My first day with the agency was 07/01/2015. And that's the day that Whitestown Connector started.”

Board discussion focused on tradeoffs at less-used stops, safety and pedestrian access near the Park 130/550 South interchange, potential future development that could change demand, and timing. One board member noted Park 130 showed the lowest average daily ridership on the presented slide and suggested revisiting that stop if development increases. Board members asked whether placing a stop just before the 550 South interchange might be preferable to adding walk routes across busy roads; participants discussed potential pedestrian infrastructure and lighting as mitigation options.

Meyer and contractor partners said the service schedule would be similar to the current one: the first downtown departure is in the early morning and the route will run roughly hourly thereafter, with mid-day and evening pattern similar to today. Meyer also said the team will use a $50,000 PR/marketing contract to promote the redesign and will conduct in-person tabling at employers and community events to grow ridership. She reported ridership of 848 in March compared with 785 in February and praised the current operator, Go Express, for responsiveness during testing.

A motion was offered and seconded to approve the redesign; the board chair called for the ayes and declared the motion carried by voice vote. The board directed staff and the mobility team to proceed with the public-notice steps discussed in the presentation: a public announcement in the Indianapolis Star, a public meeting tentatively scheduled for May 13 (with virtual participation), bus-based rider surveys, and launch of the redesigned route targeted for June 2, pending final implementation checks.

Votes at a glance: - Approval of minutes from 01/14/2025: Motion made and seconded; chair called for ayes; motion carries (voice vote). Agenda item: approve prior minutes (no roll-call recorded). - Approval of Whitestown Connector redesign as presented: Motion made and seconded; chair called for ayes; motion carries (voice vote). Motion text recorded in meeting: “I move to approve the alternative, design option as presented today.”

The board did not take a roll-call tally for either vote in the transcript; both outcomes were announced as carried by voice vote. Staff said they will publish the public notice, hold the public meeting and proceed with outreach and monitoring after implementation.

Ending: The board moved on to remaining unfinished business after the approval. The mobility team and contractor partners will return with implementation updates and post-launch ridership tracking.