Kevin Sutton says public transportation is “in his blood,” but he doesn’t credit that fact to his birthplace of Chicago, which has the nation’s second-largest public transportation system. He also doesn’t attribute it to the fact that while serving with the military in Germany, he used the bus as his primary form of transportation.
Sutton says it was his grandmother who taught him that taking the bus would allow him to enjoy more of what Indianapolis has to offer. Some of his favorite childhood memories involved boarding the bus and exploring the city with her and his siblings.
“When we were kids, she would bundle us up and put us on the bus. We would go downtown and enjoy the lights and the Christmas season. The bus was jam packed, and it was exciting. It was great,” said Sutton.
As an adult, Sutton works for the city of Indianapolis. Two years ago, he traded in his weekly bus passes for monthly passes and started using IndyGo as his primary form of transportation. He says without IndyGo, he would not be able to go to work.
“It’s reliable. It’s also how I get to work every day, Monday through Friday. Without IndyGo, I would not be able to get to necessities like the grocery store, the doctors office or even to see family. I know a lot of people say they have to wait forever for a bus. The routes I use are usually on time,” he said.
Michael Morris, who works as a security officer and uses IndyGo to get to work, agrees. Morris says most people would be lost without public transportation.
“A lot of people don’t drive because they can’t afford to drive. Or some people can’t afford a car. Uber is fine, but older folks do not know how to use that. Yellow Cab and taxi service costs are so high. Without the bus, the working class would not be able to get around and the city would be hurt. A lot of people who work downtown avoid driving, as well, because it costs so much to park,” said Morris.
Morris previously lived in St. Louis and says he loved using the train that was available in that city. He says he would like to see something of that nature in Indianapolis.
Sutton feels that public transportation helps unify the city.
“Because of IndyGo, Indianapolis has a cultural meeting point. Sometimes, on a good day while taking IndyGo, you can hear the languages of many different cultures on the bus. I was riding the bus one day, and I started talking to a person who was from Germany. We were talking about different things here in town such as the food in Indy, which is great. I told him about going to Germany and visiting stores there. IndyGo brings people together,” said Sutton. “IndyGo really empowers the people of the city. It empowers me to get to work and it empowers people to do other things.”
For information on bus passes, maps and schedules visit indygo.net.
