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Intro

Bonus episode where Kayla Bledsoe and I do an episode of IndyGo now and talk a bit about her journey getting to her job and our mutual love for the bus.

All links to all the folks I talked to are below!

Can be found here:

• Links to listen

• Links of references from the show

• Episode Summary

• Episode Transcript

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Important links and mentions

• Blue Line Info

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Third Space Indy is supported by City Rising

Episode Summary

In this special episode of Third Space Indy, host Michael Zarick sits down with Kayla from IndyGo to discuss recent developments and personal stories related to Indianapolis' public transportation system. They delve into updates on the Blue Line construction, the impact of increased fares, and the IndyGo Cares initiatives including Music in Transit, Food in Transit, and Wellness in Transit. Kayla shares her journey with IndyGo, from being a rider to becoming a ridership experience and outreach manager. The episode also highlights the importance of supporting public transportation, the role of the Transit Ambassador Program, and the benefits of using the MyKey card. They end with practical advice on holiday shopping via bus routes and encourage listeners to give public transit a try.

00:00 Introduction and Special Guest Announcement
01:20 Blue Line Construction Updates
05:26 IndyGo Cares Program Overview
08:11 Kayla's Journey with IndyGo
15:25 Fare Increase and MyKey Transition
17:30 Favorite Bus Routes and Personal Stories
19:32 Exploring Bus Routes 37 and 38
20:09 Discovering the 19 Bus Line
21:25 The Purple Line Experience
24:41 IndyGo Merchandise and Promotions
27:17 Community Connections on the Bus
29:10 Supporting Public Transportation
36:21 Final Thoughts and Holiday Shopping Tips

Episode Transcript

Kayla Bledsoe
===

[00:00:15] Michael Zarick: Hey, my name is Michael Zarick and this is Third Space Indy . I have a very special episode today. I have been trying so hard to become friends with IndyGo, and Kayla finally reached out to me and said, I would love to talk about the news of the month with you for IndyGo. So I'm here to do some news next and to talk with Kayla about who she is too, because I think that's important that, you know, because, in so many ways like.

I think we think of IndyGo as this distant, scary organization, but the people who work there are amazing, especially Kayla. Who I'm trying to be best friends with, uh, one day. Uh, so first of all, hi Kayla. How you doing?

[00:00:54] Kayla Bledsoe: Hey, good morning.

[00:00:55] Michael Zarick: Your face has been fixed.

[00:00:57] Kayla Bledsoe: Yes. Yes. 'cause you got

[00:00:59] Michael Zarick: your wisdom teeth out, right?

[00:01:00] Kayla Bledsoe: Yes. And so trying to do outreach on the bus with having my face a little lop sided, you know, uh, 'cause I couldn't feel the nerves, um, was difficult. Me talking a little bit hard.

[00:01:11] Michael Zarick: Yeah. But I'm back. You now you're talking again. Your beautiful smile has returned.

[00:01:14] Kayla Bledsoe: I'm back.

[00:01:15] Michael Zarick: And you had a and I, not with the riders.

And you had a great Thanksgiving too.

[00:01:18] Kayla Bledsoe: Yep. It was awesome.

[00:01:19] Michael Zarick: Amazing. So we are here to talk about a couple of things. Uh, the first thing that comes to mind because I rode the bus downtown was that I saw the blue line construction.

[00:01:31] Kayla Bledsoe: Yeah.

[00:01:31] Michael Zarick: Uh, so can you give me the updates you wanted to share about the blue.

Line

[00:01:35] Kayla Bledsoe: Yeah, so Blue Line Construction has officially started. I know there have been a lot of other construction related things happening along Washington Street for utility relocation, things like that. But, um, the westbound, actual blue line construction, you know, as an IndyGo construction is, uh, starting today as of December 1st.

And, uh, it's just a 180, approximately 180 day closure of westbound lanes between Belmont and Harding. Um, and so traffic is redirected up to Michigan Street. Um, and you can learn more about the detours, um, by going to indygo.net/blue Um, and also folks who actually live along the detour, or, uh, sorry, the, the construction route between Belmont and Harding have already been canvased.

Uh, they would've received, um, essentially like, uh, paper flyers. Um, door hangers a couple months ago to have some information about the construction. So, um, for folks who are most directly impacted, uh, they can refer to that sheet that they already received or still IndyGo net slash Blue.

[00:02:42] Michael Zarick: Yeah, I wrote the eight bus out east.

Towards Irvington yesterday and the construction out there was looking wild, like in a good, like, it looks like there's so much, it's good to see progress I think, in a lot of ways. And obviously I love riding the bus, that's why I'm here with you. Um, and so knowing like the vision for that. About 'cause it is, is the blue line replacing the eight line?

How does that work?

[00:03:06] Kayla Bledsoe: Yeah, so just like red line at one point had replaced another line and the purple line, which recently just launched last October, um, replaced the 39 and so blue line will replace the eight. Something to know about the eight right now is it is a 15 minute frequency. However, that includes the fact that there is one bus that goes all the way out to the airport and one that only goes to the zoo.

And so with the blue line, um, it will still have that 15 minute frequency. But it will go all the way to the airport every time.

[00:03:40] Michael Zarick: Yeah. Anna, my wife and I have already talked about how we no longer need family help or to pay for Uber. 'cause we could just ride to the air. Like that is actually an active conversation in our household.

[00:03:51] Kayla Bledsoe: Yeah.

[00:03:52] Michael Zarick: Or like our friend, uh, who I will not name recently flew somewhere. Uh, and she was worried about like having to pay for parking at the airport . And so she asked us to drive her and we were at dinner and we were like, we cannot, you had to plan ahead. So now it's just like, yeah, bro, just get on the bus.

[00:04:11] Kayla Bledsoe: Yeah, get on the bus. Yeah,

[00:04:11] Michael Zarick: please.

[00:04:12] Kayla Bledsoe: The eight will take you to the airport now. You know, so it's that's true. It's an option already, but the frequency will greatly improve. Yeah, definitely.

[00:04:18] Michael Zarick: You can be as, uh, as bad of a planner as I am. And you can ride the bus more. Yeah, exactly.

[00:04:25] Kayla Bledsoe: Exactly. Um,

[00:04:25] Michael Zarick: I do have a curse.

Have I told you about my curse?

[00:04:28] Kayla Bledsoe: No.

[00:04:28] Michael Zarick: Every time I'm walking to the red line, stop. In broader hole. Uh, I watch the bus drive by. I actually texted you that this morning.

[00:04:36] Kayla Bledsoe: Yeah.

[00:04:36] Michael Zarick: It's like I, when I can see the bus stop. The bus goes by and then I miss it. So yeah. Then I have to wait for the next one. I am, which is never bad.

[00:04:44] Kayla Bledsoe: I am also a victim of unashamedly running to the bus stop. I mean, I am sprinting sometimes.

[00:04:51] Michael Zarick: Does, does the bus driver stop for you?

[00:04:53] Kayla Bledsoe: Uh, sometimes if they can, like if I'm in an area, like if I'm coming around a corner and it's like they have to be able to see me. If they're seeing me and I'm able to weigh them down and it, it's only a couple seconds, they'll wait for me.

You're like,

[00:05:04] Michael Zarick: please go. Yeah.

[00:05:05] Kayla Bledsoe: I think for the most part, drivers are like, they see me as a human. They're also a human. Um, but sometimes if I'm, if like where I'm trying to go is, you know, I just like, I'm just a block away, but not facing the bus, there's no way they can see me. It doesn't matter how fast I run.

That's awesome.

[00:05:21] Michael Zarick: Um, so I'm gonna ask you about something and then you're gonna correct me and tell me what it actually is.

Okay. Which is the CARES Program? IndyGo. Um, IndyGo. IndyGo Cares. There we go. Yes. We'll take it.

[00:05:33] Kayla Bledsoe: Okay. So IndyGo Cares. Yes. So IndyGo, IndyGo Cares is, encompasses like essentially three different programs right now. Music in transit food in transit and Wellness in Transit. Mm-hmm. Food in Transit historically has only been during the summer, um, in partnership with, uh, the Office of Public Health and Safety.

When it first started, it was with growing Places Indy, and last year it was. Or this summer was with Kheprw Institute, um, to provide free local, um, well locally grown fresh vegetables and food to riders. Um, and we have a special edition Winter Edition Food in Transit happening actually tomorrow, December 2nd, um, at the transit center in partnership with Second Helpings, which is.

Huge. Mm-hmm. Uh, so we're able to, during the holiday season, provide families and specifically families who ride the bus with, uh, you know, es essentially just staple grocery items. Um, it is the type of food that you need access to, a kitchen to be able to, um, do something with. You know, that's gonna include vegetables, it's gonna include fruit it might include pretzels and other like staples like that.

Um, and so we're really excited to be able to do this one time limited edition of Food in Transit this month, and not just in the winter.

[00:06:55] Michael Zarick: Yeah. So when, um, for Food and Transit, because I'm, I'm genuinely interested. Can you tell me a little bit about. Like how often this occurs where I can find the, is it always at the transit center or is it, yeah.

Okay.

[00:07:07] Kayla Bledsoe: So in the past it was, um, I guess it always varied. I'll just speak to this year. This year it was twice a month that ran through from May to September, um, at the transit center at 4:00 PM and tomorrow December 2nd, um, it was always on Tuesdays as well. So we're keeping that with this winter edition as well.

Where it's at 4:00 PM on a Tuesday. And so we're really catching folks when they're most likely to even be just, uh, transferring or being at the transit center as they're getting off from work, going home, getting outta school, whatever it might be. Um, that's one of our busiest times at the transit center is essentially between three 30 to.

Hmm.

[00:07:49] Michael Zarick: That makes sense. Cool. Is there anything else you wanted to share about that?

[00:07:53] Kayla Bledsoe: Uh, just really appreciative to the second helpings for this partnership and we're really excited and we might have even some more news to share about the future of Food and Transit, um, later on. So stay tuned. Cool.

[00:08:05] Michael Zarick: Hopefully, well, nevermind. I don't know what to say. Um. Yeah, that sounds cool. Uh, Kayla, can you tell me a little bit about your role with IndyGo?

[00:08:18] Kayla Bledsoe: Yeah. '

[00:08:19] Michael Zarick: cause we met at the Big Gay Market, uh, at Monument Circle, and I begged you for one of the, was it, was it the,

[00:08:29] Kayla Bledsoe: one of the pride shirts? One of the

[00:08:30] Michael Zarick: pride shirts.

I didn't get it. Still, still on the docket of things to beg for. Um, but can you tell me a little bit about. Uh, your role with IndyGo and like who you are, you've, you've even changed since I met you only a couple months ago.

[00:08:44] Kayla Bledsoe: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, my journey. You want me to tell you my journey to IndyGo?

[00:08:49] Michael Zarick: Yeah, I would eat that up.

[00:08:50] Kayla Bledsoe: Um. So to explain who and what I do today, I think that is, is kind of essential to how I got here. So, um, I started riding IndyGo actually in 2016. Um, that was, uh, my first year I was eligible to vote. It was also the year that the referendum for what has now become VRT, um, to fund it.

Yeah, and I worked on like canvassing for that, uh, referendum. And I worked the polls all day, you know, standing outside and tell people to vote for transit and just 'cause it sounded cool. I was like, yeah, I wanna be like the people in the, in the movies, you know, I wanna be riding the train or something, something go fast.

Um, and then I just started taking regular local routes. That was also when the Julia Carson Transit Center opened. Um, before 2016, not every route ran every day. Um, and that was a huge improvement to service for so many riders in 2016. Yeah, that's

[00:09:50] Michael Zarick: great. Like I can't imagine what that's like as somebody, I mean, I ride the bus.

At least four times a week probably. I can't imagine having to work five, assuming you work five days a week. Yeah. And your bus just doesn't run

[00:10:02] Kayla Bledsoe: Exactly That.

[00:10:03] Michael Zarick: That sounds wack.

[00:10:04] Kayla Bledsoe: Exactly. So that was a huge improvement to service for folks. And something that also happened, um, around that time, uh, was then the, when the referendum passed, ultimately they had to figure out, okay, so now that we have, uh, the ability to do this, let's, you know essentially what has become the Red Line.

Right. And during that time I just was riding the bus. I thought the best way that I could support public transit was to put my money where my mouth was. Um, and I didn't mind paying the dollar 75 or $4 a day. Yeah. Typically I actually only had $5. Um, and so I was just, and I was like, you know what? It's okay because IndyGo is a good public transit service, so it's okay.

Um,

[00:10:45] Michael Zarick: this is certainly the best public transit service. Of any city I've lived in. Wow. I, which there are a couple of, uh, you know, I've lived, I've lived in six or seven cities. Yeah.

[00:10:58] Kayla Bledsoe: Okay. Wow. That's awesome. Yeah. Uh, shout out IndyGo. Yeah. Um, and then. Forward, uh, redline opens. I actually lived right along the redline when it opened, which was really cool.

Yeah.

Um, and then a couple years later I learned about the Transit Ambassador Program, which is a program of folks who are bus riders who do outreach activities. It includes attending community events and tabling like where I met you. Oftentimes Transit ambassadors will attend those type of community festivals and events.

Just share information about IndyGo. Just be there to listen to folks about concerns they have or answer the questions about how to ride the bus. Um, that's the biggest thing I want to be able to provide to people, is to be a resource to overcome the hurdles that prevent them from getting on the bus in the first place.

Yeah. Um, and so I ended up applying to that, and that would've been 20 22, 20 23. And then at the same time. A lot of stuff was going on in my personal life that made me think, what if I sold my car? Like, what if I just did that?

[00:12:02] Michael Zarick: I had that, I was thinking about that. The other, I texted my wife, I said, what if I sold my car?

What if I sold my car for, um, like, and just bought two E-bikes? Yes. I was like, what if,

[00:12:11] Kayla Bledsoe: what if? Like, what if? And then I was like, okay, let's find out what if. And ultimately, you know, I was at a point in my life where financially it was like how like having a car was starting to become a financial burden.

You. Know, and it felt like a necessary evil. And then I decided like, maybe it's not necessary and it's just evil. Um, and so I did in 2023, I sold my car, uh, and I used the cash to buy, um, not an e-bike, but like a regular kind of like road bike. Um, that was really nice though. It could take me long hauls. At the time I was commuting average five mile, five miles just to go into work.

Um, so easy. 10 to 15 miles a day if I wasn't taking the bus. And so. And I just haven't owned a car since. Yeah. Um, what

[00:12:56] Michael Zarick: neighborhood do you live in now, if you don't mind? I

[00:12:57] Kayla Bledsoe: live now downtown at the time when I sold my car. So you got an

[00:12:59] Michael Zarick: easy commute?

[00:13:00] Kayla Bledsoe: Yeah. Now I have a very easy commute. When I sold my car, I was living off of like 38th and Boulevard.

Um,

[00:13:06] Michael Zarick: that's a haul.

[00:13:07] Kayla Bledsoe: So yeah, I mean, you know, there's not much on 38th Street, so, or at least where I was living, it's like there's a lot of like homes and gas stations, but to get to my groceries or to get to work or. Really to do any like fun activities. I really did have to commute in some way on the bus or, um, via bike.

Yeah. So then, um, in 2024, so just last year, um, at the beginning of the year, the position for the person who oversaw the transit ambassador program opened up and at the time I was actually considering leaving Indianapolis, um, and when the job opened up. I was like, this is kind of a dream job. I think, I think I had to stay in, I have to like see this through.

[00:13:50] Michael Zarick: It's also like on the, the spectrum of things you were already doing in a lot of ways. Exactly. Yeah.

[00:13:56] Kayla Bledsoe: Yeah. I mean, I was like, well, I am a transit ambassador, I know this program. I know what it's like. Mm-hmm. And I had a lot of ideas about how to improve it. Um, and then I got the job and so I started with IndyGo, uh, in May of 2024.

Um, and. Just a couple months ago, I recently got a promotion, which is cool. Um, but more, to me it's like a representation of the work I had already been doing. Uh, to support riders and, um, so now my role is a ridership experience and outreach manager. So I really still, uh, focus on riders and outreach and a lot of the ways that people know me to have been do doing in the last year.

Um, I still oversee and manage the Transit Ambassador program, including training them and supporting them, answering their questions. They often do things like bus stop audits, they're reporting when things are going wrong on the bus, um, and they're helping identify those issues in real time so that way I can report to the teams to correct them Yeah.

As quickly as possible.

Yeah, makes sense.

So, yeah, it's uh, really awesome. I oversee the IndyGo Cares programming. Um, and I do support with some of the travel trainings for like, larger events, uh, things like that. And, and also just anything community engagement related is essentially my role.

[00:15:13] Michael Zarick: Yeah, you're out here.

I, I'll say I'm out here. I'm on the bus. I feel like I see you at a lot of places. Um, so, oh, I should know this because it affects me too. So. So on the 1st of January Yes. IndyGo is increasing the fares from a $1.75 to $2.75 Right.

But

this is the first time in twenty years. 16. 16, yeah. Yeah, that's basically 20. So do you have anything specifically to say about that?

[00:15:44] Kayla Bledsoe: Yeah. I mean, yes. Okay. Fare is going up. Mm-hmm. Uh, from a $1.75 to $2.75 that's true for the two hour unlimited connections. Um, for a day pass is, is going from $4 to $6. And this is all in the context of full fare Uh, there are many people who are eligible for half fare including folks with disabilities.

Uh, folks over 65 people under 19. Yeah. Um, and for those folks it's still half of the price. Uh, so for a day pass, it will be $3 for the two hour unlimited connection, a dollar 35. Um, and there will no longer be a couple of the paper passes that a lotta folks use, like the 10 trip pass, the 31 day pass. Uh, and so you'll need to switch over to using MyKey Looks like this. Um, and what's nice about MyKey it offers the same exact benefits as those paper passes, but even more because it never expires. And if you lose your My Key card, as long as you have it registered, you're able to transfer money onto a new card. I mean, Michael, we literally did it. I did.

[00:16:51] Michael Zarick: I literally did it before we started the video

[00:16:53] Kayla Bledsoe: and it's, so it's, you saw how, I mean, you were, you don't even have to do this at the transit center, but like.

Even in the transit center, it was less than a minute almost. Yeah. You know, and

[00:17:02] Michael Zarick: yeah, the woman at the, I don't know her name, but the woman at the stand was very helpful.

[00:17:05] Kayla Bledsoe: Yeah. They're all like, the people who work at the customer service desk are really wonderful. Um, and they're there really to help folks and to answer your questions, um, and make it really simple for you.

She even taught you how to actually put it over yourself. She did actually. So I,

[00:17:22] Michael Zarick: I felt like a dummy. 'cause I was like, why haven't I done this before? Um, um, oh, so shout out to me. This is, I have really expanded my bus horizons yesterday. I recorded with Anderson, York.

[00:17:36] Kayla Bledsoe: Yeah.

[00:17:36] Michael Zarick: Or is it next Stop that we're getting off

[00:17:38] Kayla Bledsoe: three stops.

[00:17:38] Michael Zarick: Okay. Yesterday I recorded the podcast with Anderson York, so yesterday I wrote the eight going out west, which I mentioned earlier.

[00:17:45] Kayla Bledsoe: Yeah. I rode

[00:17:46] Michael Zarick: the 19 home. Oh, awesome. For the first time. Also, shout out to the 19, I think that's maybe the best bus in the city. Yeah. Uh, I've learned, uh, and then obviously the Red Line, which is my home.

[00:17:57] Kayla Bledsoe: Thank you.

[00:17:59] Michael Zarick: Uh, my, my true home. The Red Line. Uh, what is your favorite bus?

[00:18:04] Kayla Bledsoe: Oh, the 25 Easy.

[00:18:05] Michael Zarick: Why? Tell me.

[00:18:06] Kayla Bledsoe: I live right by it, and it tends to be the bus I end up on the most, even though I actually live by a couple bus lines. Being downtown, I'm, I'm really. Fortunate and really, uh, you know, I mean, it makes everything a lot easier to be by so many bus lines, but, um, something that is nicer, the 25 is that it goes to for,

[00:18:26] Michael Zarick: oh, next stop.

[00:18:27] Kayla Bledsoe: Yeah.

[00:18:27] Michael Zarick: Okay. Sorry. This one. Oh, oh, that's what I was saying. We'll pause. We can record on the side of the road.

So there was a, a weird cut there 'cause we had to get off the bus and then get back on the bus going the other direction. I. Uh, and we were talking about your favorite bus route, which takes you to Borage, which is why you said go to Borage.

[00:18:47] Kayla Bledsoe: Yes.

[00:18:47] Michael Zarick: Are you allowed to promote specific businesses? Oh,

[00:18:51] Kayla Bledsoe: what I'll say is that I like the 25 and it does take you to Forage and that is a fact. Uh, and I won't say anything else about it. Cut everything out. The Sweet Miso corn latte.

[00:19:04] Michael Zarick: I don't know that's in there, but that's funny. Uh, um, and it.

[00:19:07] Kayla Bledsoe: The route that I often, it ends up being the bus that I catch the most.

[00:19:11] Michael Zarick: The 25, right?

[00:19:13] Kayla Bledsoe: Yeah.

[00:19:13] Michael Zarick: Okay. Is there any other, any other notable like spots along

[00:19:20] Kayla Bledsoe: Oh, along 25? Yeah. Huh? Other

[00:19:22] Michael Zarick: than it goes by your house.

[00:19:24] Kayla Bledsoe: Yeah, good question. 'cause I actually haven't taken it, I actually haven't taken it up like northwest much because I mostly take it to the transit center. Um, now the 37 and the 38, those have a lot of notable things.

A lot of really good restaurants.

[00:19:39] Michael Zarick: What's the 38? The 38 Now, where does that go?

[00:19:42] Kayla Bledsoe: Um, it goes up to 38th Street and it goes west along 38th Street. Um, and so all those restaurants along there, yeah, uh, the international grocery store, stuff like that. Pretty cool. Um, I like that one a lot. I do take it a lot to essentially, uh, like visit people or.

Um, go to certain, like MOTW Coffee Shop is over there. Mm. Um, which is cool. Good place, good people.

[00:20:09] Michael Zarick: Okay. Yesterday, I mentioned this earlier, but I discovered the 19 and it is everything I've ever wanted out of a bus. And I didn't, I didn't realize it. The plus stop. I, you believe you've

[00:20:19] Kayla Bledsoe: never taken it before.

[00:20:22] Michael Zarick: If Anderson York is listening to this, he also had that same sentiment. He was like, you're such a nerd. He goes, you're, you're stuck on the one bus on the Red Line.

[00:20:31] Kayla Bledsoe: Yeah.

[00:20:32] Michael Zarick: Um, but first of all, the bus stop for the 19 is just as far from my house as the Red Line stop. So there's no difference in. Walk, walking distance.

How much for me? How much you walk? Yeah. It goes through Butler. It goes along Broad Ripple Avenue. It goes down Keystone, it goes by Gold Leaf on 46th Street. Is that right? And then also it takes you directly to Mass Ave.

[00:20:59] Kayla Bledsoe: Yeah.

[00:20:59] Michael Zarick: If you didn't know this, I, prior to yesterday, always got off on ninth Street on the red line and walked to Mass Ave.

That's a 20 minute walk.

[00:21:08] Kayla Bledsoe: Wow.

[00:21:09] Michael Zarick: I enjoy walking a lot, but now that I know I can take

[00:21:14] Kayla Bledsoe: Yeah, right there

[00:21:15] Michael Zarick: directly there, uh, I feel a deep sense of shame, but I'm, I'm saved. Uh, yeah, that's how I feel. Uh,

[00:21:25] Kayla Bledsoe: Purple Line is pretty cool. That has a lot of notable stops.

[00:21:28] Michael Zarick: The purple line also goes out to a place I don't hang out like Fort Harrison towards Lawrence Harrison.

Lawrence. Yeah. But does it go right by Fort Harrison?

[00:21:35] Kayla Bledsoe: Yeah. There, if I take the, there's even a stop.

[00:21:37] Michael Zarick: I shouldn't maybe pro this on here, but if I take the, the Purple Line out to Fort Harrison, can I just walk in or you just pay for parking?

[00:21:45] Kayla Bledsoe: You, no, you, if you go to Fort Harrison on the bus, it's a $1. It's like one or $2 to get

[00:21:52] Michael Zarick: in to

[00:21:52] Kayla Bledsoe: walk in.

Yeah.

[00:21:53] Michael Zarick: Yo, it's cheaper. Yo, the bus saves you so much money. No,

[00:21:57] Kayla Bledsoe: literally it. Even with the cost of your fare and the cost of getting in, it's still cheaper than going, using your car, using your gas, and just at. A baseline. It's cheaper than the price to get in for the day into the park.

[00:22:13] Michael Zarick: This is just,

[00:22:14] Kayla Bledsoe: wait, the car?

Yeah.

[00:22:15] Michael Zarick: I just learned something new

[00:22:17] Kayla Bledsoe: and it passes Tarkington Park, the Purple Line Does, which is nice. Uh, along 38th and Meridian. Um, and it passes a lot of businesses on 38th Street.

[00:22:27] Michael Zarick: We did ride, I, I did it by accident before the State Fair. I got on the purple line without paying attention and I got off on the state.

Okay. Another crazy Michael moment, blanked out, got on the purple line, rode it to the state fair. 'cause I was like, I'm on the wrong bus.

[00:22:43] Kayla Bledsoe: Oh. Because yeah, you actually need to go to Broad Ripple.

[00:22:44] Michael Zarick: Walked to 42nd Street to get back on the red line.

[00:22:48] Kayla Bledsoe: Oh, you could've just taken, I could've walked,

[00:22:50] Michael Zarick: I could've walked.

Uh, to college.

[00:22:54] Kayla Bledsoe: Just waited Purple Line Street.

[00:22:56] Michael Zarick: Well, it's like, it's like one stop. Uh, whatever. Uh, but I just walked north. It was actually, I, I think the best way to learn about your city is to walk.

[00:23:05] Kayla Bledsoe: Yes.

[00:23:06] Michael Zarick: Um, and so I, I learned, I like saw stuff that I'd never seen before. Yeah. Um, then went to the part of Monon that I'd never been in before.

Um, although I have plans to do. A lot with the Monon soon. Um, but it's, it is just like interesting to be like, oh yeah, like this part of town is like it, especially up where I live. I live in Broad Ripple, like the way the styles of the houses change as you like, move south is really interesting and there's some really charming houses, uh, just around the state fair area.

That I really enjoyed seeing. Yeah, that's awesome. Because I was forced to walk by my own mistake.

[00:23:44] Kayla Bledsoe: I mean, I feel that way about the bus and that like there's so much that I feel like I see that I wouldn't have seen if I'd been driving. 'cause I just like couldn't. I mean, you literally have to be focused on the cars in front of you and not the space around you.

And I mean, look at this beautiful view. You know, I get to, I mean, especially when the leaves were falling and it was so beautiful. I mean, the Chreece, it was just like, I just loved looking out the window. Yeah. The bus on my commutes. 'cause it's like, I mean, it's just so beautiful.

[00:24:09] Michael Zarick: I space out hard on the bus.

[00:24:11] Kayla Bledsoe: Right. I dope

[00:24:12] Michael Zarick: A lot of times, uh, like I look at, I look and like, see I was telling somebody this yesterday, but talking about the potential I see when I see like a. A broken down building or like an empty live. I go, oh, there's something, something so cool could go here. Uh, and it's like right on the bus line.

I'm like, oh, imagine

[00:24:31] Kayla Bledsoe: something really cool could be here. And all these people on the bus could get there.

[00:24:35] Michael Zarick: Exactly. Um, yo, how do I get one of these shirts you're wearing

[00:24:41] Kayla Bledsoe: and you go 50th anniversary edition? 'cause we were talking about, we

[00:24:44] Michael Zarick: were talking about the, the Pride merch earlier, and I do like. The Pride merch.

That's my dream merch. But the 50 year anniversary is good. And then you're also doing winter merch too? Yeah, that I also really like

[00:24:55] Kayla Bledsoe: Winter merch just dropped. Uh, you can go to IndyGo dot net, um, and find the information to get to like the foundation and to go to the shop. Um, and you can buy IndyGo swag.

Uh, the rain jackets are actually still available. Um, and there's a couple of summer items that are no longer available, but we do have winter merch, so we have like some sweaters, some Christmas sweaters. There's one that says, uh, there's snow Place like IndyGo and it's like a globe, like a snow globe. But with the bus.

[00:25:30] Michael Zarick: Yep. And

[00:25:31] Kayla Bledsoe: I, I've already requested that for Christmas, uh, from my family.

[00:25:35] Michael Zarick: You're like, please buy me.

[00:25:36] Kayla Bledsoe: I, I literally sent the link and I said, size this forest green, you know, telling what I mean, no additional notes.

[00:25:43] Michael Zarick: You just like, this is what, this is what I want.

[00:25:45] Kayla Bledsoe: You know, there's another one. There's a really cool hoodie that shows like the, uh, the route map, the system network, um, for BRT or I think it shows the actual, the whole system network.

That's pretty crazy. So cool. I know how to, do you do

[00:25:58] Michael Zarick: ambassadors? Get. A special merch discount or access.

[00:26:03] Kayla Bledsoe: So sometimes employees we do get, uh, like a limited time, like literally when, when our merch drops, we got a 15% discount for like a week. Hmm. Um, transit ambassadors are responsible if, just like, employees for buying any additional merch, like the IndyGo Foundation Merch is.

Separate than like regular IndyGo attire. Um, and all the proceeds do go straight back to the IndyGo Foundation to be able to continue providing, um, resources and access to the bus system at Indianapolis. Um, the foundation offers those 50%. Uh, bus passes to 501c(3)s and, uh, they also to nonprofit partners offer the free bus pass grant.

Uh, being able to award free bus passes to organizations working directly with people who need access for their transportation needs. And so your proceeds go to them.

[00:27:02] Michael Zarick: Okay. That makes sense. And that's, that's not all the merch, there's two different types of merch? No. Or does all the merch go to that?

[00:27:08] Kayla Bledsoe: All the merchs and you go Foundation.

Oh, okay.

[00:27:10] Michael Zarick: Cool. Um, oh, what was the other thing? What were, oh, do you, do you know about, um, f Friends meet on the bus? It's like the people you meet

[00:27:24] Kayla Bledsoe: on the bus.

[00:27:24] Michael Zarick: Oh, people you meet on the bus. Thank you. You, I don't know why I didn't. I don't know. I'm probably gonna submit to them. Um, but it's like a local zine that's like, uh, highlights, like people you meet on the bus or like stories about the bus.

Things like that.

[00:27:39] Kayla Bledsoe: Yeah. Um, the connections that people make by using transportation. Marissa is another

[00:27:42] Michael Zarick: person I'm trying to be friends with.

[00:27:44] Kayla Bledsoe: She's awesome.

[00:27:45] Michael Zarick: yeah. Do you have any, any thoughts on them?

[00:27:47] Kayla Bledsoe: Uh, yeah, people, me on the bus is, um, not associated affiliated with IndyGo, um, in that way, but it is a really great community.

Based project to, you know, gather stories of writers, um, which is really cool. Um, and actually in the past, uh, transit ambassadors have been included, uh, in the online version of Volume one, which you can view online for free through Mirror Indy, which is really cool. Um, we have a transit ambassador feature in there, uh, and uh, that's really exciting and.

Uh, trans ambassadors are, uh, going to support with, uh, helping, you know, collect some of those stories. I mean, trans ambassadors are people who do ride the bus and are meeting people on the bus all the time. Um, so I think there's like some connection there. Definitely. And I think it's really great to, um, collaborate with, um, other folks who will support public transportation, um, and.

A variety of ways.

It's a little shaky on the bus. Yeah.

[00:28:51] Michael Zarick: It's always a little shaky on the bus, but that's okay. It's shaky in cars too.

[00:28:54] Kayla Bledsoe: That's true.

[00:28:54] Michael Zarick: Uh, ums. I don't really have anything else to talk about. Do you have anything else to talk about? Anything else on your mind, in your heart, on your docket, in your email, on your, nothing else, on my email, in your texts.

[00:29:10] Kayla Bledsoe: Um, but I guess I just still stand by my belief that the best way you can support public transportation is to take it yourself, um, and put your money into our public transportation system. Um, fare revenue is just one part of what makes IndyGo run. And, uh, by having folks who ride the bus, even just having the, um, numbers of people on a bus, it greatly benefits, uh, our public transportation system and even the perception that people have of it.

Um, and one little tidbit, a fun tidbit I have is that. Um, it only takes a couple of people on a bus to still be more, uh, energy efficient than a single person in a car.

[00:29:59] Michael Zarick: I mean, that makes sense to me. Aren't, aren't the buses mostly electric? The BRT is,

[00:30:03] Kayla Bledsoe: the BRT right now, they're electric and then we have a lot of hybrid, and then we do have some that are all.

Diesel.

[00:30:10] Michael Zarick: Yeah. So I think in a lot of cases it, it would be more efficient. And frankly, during the week a lot of people ride the bus. Yeah. When I come downtown there, there's always like talk online. That was like, no one rides. No one rides the bus. It's like dude, you clearly have never ridden, you've never actually been on a, I mean,

[00:30:25] Kayla Bledsoe: even right now we're on a bus line that is.

It runs every 15 minutes, which means that there's a lot of people That means, like, that means that if there's even three people on this bus, then how many people were on the bus that came 15 minutes ago, Uhhuh, and 15 minutes after? And, but like right now, what? There's at least six people on this bus right now.

Yeah. And it's seems like it's, it's only like kind of the morning, like it's theoretically not a busy time, and especially a lot of people for middle of the day on a Monday it's cold.

[00:30:54] Michael Zarick: Yeah. And I'll, I'll also say like. When I post, when Thirdspaceindy.com Indy posts on Instagram, I'm normally posting like from my stop in Broad Ripple Bull, which is the very first stop on going south.

Yeah, so generally it looks like there's no one on the bus, but they're like, it's the first stop it. It's the first stop. And like a lot of people get on basically. Uh, like Center 38th and Oh yeah. The one south of 38th. Like that's probably the

[00:31:21] Kayla Bledsoe: third, 34th.

[00:31:22] Michael Zarick: I don't know. I don't, I don't ever pay attention to that stop, but, um, that's where people get on and like, that seems like, I don't know.

It's obviously just like it's easy to be like, no one rides the bus.

[00:31:33] Kayla Bledsoe: Yeah, I actually want, but

[00:31:34] Michael Zarick: I ride the bus.

[00:31:36] Kayla Bledsoe: I wanna check to make sure I'm giving people the right, uh, website for the merch. Um,

[00:31:44] Michael Zarick: but if you are interested in, or I'm gonna say this, shout out to myself if you are interested in riding the bus. If you're bus curious, um, bus curious, or maybe like, you know, bus hesitant or any level of your relationship to the bus, reach out to me. I will gladly teach you not only how to ride, but also how like.

I'm only still knowledgeable, but like where I get on, where I get off, it's, it's super easy. It's super chill. and is this a talking point you use? Like if even if you, uh, do you use the, your, even if you're uncomfortable doesn't mean you're unsafe. Is that a thing you say?

[00:32:26] Kayla Bledsoe: Yeah, I, when I have done travel trainings in the past, uh, a lot of, uh, one thing I wanna address is safety, security, and what I really encourage people to think about in terms of that is there is a difference between being uncomfortable and being unsafe.

And if you feel unsafe, genuinely that is a time to immediately alert the bus driver, um, of any situation. I personally have never felt unsafe on the bus. I've never had a situation where I urgently need to tell the bus driver anything.

[00:32:55] Michael Zarick: Yeah.

[00:32:55] Kayla Bledsoe: Um, and most people haven't as well. I do think that, uh, just like.

You know, for me as a woman, there are times I feel uncomfortable in the grocery store with the way someone is talking to me. You know, in any public space, I Yeah. Am at risk of being uncomfortable. Yes. Um, and that includes on the bus and, uh, in those situations, mostly it's about making myself more comfortable, which means getting closer to the bus driver if I need to.

Just giving them a heads up to make sure other people know, making eye contact with someone, uh, sitting next to someone else. Um, it feels really easy and I honestly don't feel uncomfortable on the bus much. Yeah. Um, and when I do, I, I know what to do. Um, and mostly I just feel uncomfortable in terms of it is cold right now, waiting for the bus sometimes, but, oh my God, I'm waiting till last minute to leave my house.

I would say I,

[00:33:46] Michael Zarick: I've had more, like, I think we hyper focus on negative, uh, interactions. Yes. But I've had so many positive interactions on the bus, just like random conversations. Or ran, as I mentioned earlier, like people you meet on the bus, like literally people I have met on the bus that I then see later and then like they're, I would consider them friends or close acquaintances.

Yeah. And it's like, that is, that's real. Like, uh, and, and Will Hazen on my podcast said like, for him, the bus. Is his third space or the third space for a lot of people.

[00:34:18] Kayla Bledsoe: Yeah.

[00:34:19] Michael Zarick: And like that I've experienced it firsthand just because of my frequency of riding. Yeah. It's like I would not know these people or have experienced those things.

If not, um, if I had driven places. 'cause Exactly. You can't, frankly, you cannot meet people while driving your car.

[00:34:35] Kayla Bledsoe: And the amount of times I've run into my friends on the bus is awesome. Yeah. I mean even when I'm working, yeah. I'm running into my friends on the bus, which is so cool. Work. I actually see Marissa a lot '

[00:34:44] Michael Zarick: cause she lives.

Like one or two stops step away from me.

[00:34:47] Kayla Bledsoe: And it's just so, like, it literally just brightens my mood to just unexpectedly run into someone I know. And it, and it including people who I'm not even like super close with. Yeah. You know, but it's like, oh my God. Like I would've never, I'm not going to go outta my way to see some.

Certain people 'cause we're not super close. But it is so nice just to be like, oh my God, what's up? I would love, like what is going on in your life? And the couple minutes we have together, actually just recently I was taking the two home from the East campus and uh, I actually, I basically the printer. It was having, it was going slower than I wanted to, so I ended up missing my, uh, four o'clock bus and got on the four 30 bus.

[00:35:23] Michael Zarick: Yeah.

[00:35:24] Kayla Bledsoe: And I ran into someone I haven't seen in years, but he had a huge impact on my life as a kid. Yeah. And we were both part of this like youth leadership program, but he was older, so he was like just such a, an important mentor to me in a lot of ways. And we got to spend 45 minutes just talking and catching up on, you know, adulthood.

And I would've never, like, I just can't imagine where else I would've run into him at, you know, like, except this, because our lives are so different. Yeah. You know, but it's like, but this is the one place where we're the same. We both need a ride home.

[00:35:58] Michael Zarick: Yes. Sorry. I was like, what? What did you say? Um. Yeah.

Amazing. Anyways, we are nearing the transit center at least.

[00:36:07] Kayla Bledsoe: Oh. And, uh, the actual website for the merch is shop.indygofoundation.org

[00:36:12] Michael Zarick: Oh, okay uh, shop dot IndyGo foundation.org. Repeat. Oh, so we're nearing the transit center. So let's wrap it up. I don't, you're not someone to be found, but do you have anything to plug other than the merch?

[00:36:28] Kayla Bledsoe: Um, anything to plug? I can well for your holiday shopping needs I something this recently. Uh, for your holiday shopping needs, you can take a couple of different routes. Uh, to go to the Speedway Supercenter, you can take line 10 and 25. To go to the Keystone Fashion Mall, 26 and 82 to go to the Greenwood Park Mall.

You can go 29 and 31 and Cumberland. You can take 8, 10, 21 and 87 yo. And then of course, support your local shops along 10th Street, uh, with Route 10. Support your local shops along Washington Street with Route eight. Um, and support your local shops along Mass Ave with, I mean, a lot of our routes really will take you downtown or close to it, but like you said, out people took me right to the Mass Ave area.

[00:37:13] Michael Zarick: That's my bus.

[00:37:14] Kayla Bledsoe: Um, it is now, and I mean, even right here where I superstop look how many buses it serves. I mean, oh my God. Wait, like the two, the four, the three, the five, the six, the 10, the 15, the 19 28, 3 4 37 38. That will take you right downtown.

[00:37:26] Michael Zarick: Um, amazing. My challenge to you, if you are listening to this and you've listened all the way through.

And you've never taken the bus before, just one time. This, this winter, take a bus plan ahead and you're, let's say you're doing, actually, that's a great opportunity. You go buy a present for your niece or nephew.

[00:37:46] Kayla Bledsoe: Yes.

[00:37:46] Michael Zarick: Take the bus to do it. Get a MyKey and get a MyKey. It'd need to know how to do it. Reach out to me.

Or, uh, reach out to Kayla through me,

[00:37:56] Kayla Bledsoe: or you can do a travel training and you go or, or do a travel training

[00:37:58] Michael Zarick: with Molly Freeman, how to

[00:37:59] Kayla Bledsoe: ride, I think how dash two dash ride

[00:38:02] Michael Zarick: Michael travel training. Molly Freeman's my goat. Shout out to Molly.

[00:38:05] Kayla Bledsoe: Yeah, she's great. Yeah, she's awesome.

[00:38:07] Michael Zarick: Um, so wonderful. Anyways, thank you so much for listening.

Uh, to this very special episode of Third Space Indy Indie. We just sort of rode the bus out and back just like I did with Anderson York yesterday. Uh,

[00:38:21] Kayla Bledsoe: Shout out to Third Space for, uh, sponsoring our IndyGo now December edition.

[00:38:28] Michael Zarick: Yeah. Sponsored for free. Let's go with my voice.

Yes. Um,

[00:38:34] Kayla Bledsoe: I guess we sponsored your ride.

That's true.

[00:38:37] Michael Zarick: Uh,

[00:38:39] Kayla Bledsoe: anyways, thanks so much for listening. See you in the next one. And, uh, IndyGo forever. Peace.