Sunday, September 1, 2019 was Historic Meridian Park Day on the new IndyGo Red Line. More than a dozen neighbors were spotted riding the new, sleek, fast buses. Cassie Mehlman-Rhys, former/honorary neighbor Christy Krieg, and Sharon Gamble boarded at the 30th & Meridian/Children’s Museum stop and rode to Fountain Square. The trio was wowed by the bus crowd. They reported that the bus was – like a New York City or Washington, D.C. train at rush hour (minus bad behavior!). Fellow riders were super friendly and helped families stay together.
Cassie, Christy, and Sharon rode the bus to Fountain Square, walked around, window shopped, and ate lunch and enjoyed a beer at the new Upland restaurant. After several hours of hassle-free enjoyment, they rode the Red Line back home. According to the trio, “If even 20 percent of the people who rode on September 1 use the Red Line regularly, our city will be in a much better state: greener, friendlier, and more efficient. (Oh, and next time: Broad Ripple!)”
The Red Line excitement didn’t end there. As Sharon, Cassie, and Christy exited the bus, the Vavul crew boarded the near-capacity bus heading north to Broad Ripple for dinner at Twenty Tap. The Vavuls rode to the turnaround at 66th Street and back down to the restaurant at 54th and College. The Vavuls were especially interested in witnessing how the buses, pedestrians, and motorists shared the streets. While there were a few kinks in the commute (one oncoming bus forgot to wait until the Vavuls’ bus docked at 49th Street), the driver remained professional and calm, pulled aside, and let the other bus pass before proceeding onward. As the Vavuls headed home, they ran into the Nicol-Diaz clans with all of their little ones in tow. With bus platforms at 30th and Meridian Streets and 34th and Meridian Streets, HMP neighbors have little excuse not to use it.