Indianapolis is getting another new on-demand ride service for underserved communities. On Tuesday, IndyGo announced a new program that will connect people with Gennesaret Free Clinics. The pilot, known as “Wellness in Transit,” will provide free rides to a clinic every Tuesday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Wellness in Transit will run from May until October.
The pilot program aims to connect Indianapolis residents with free healthcare. The buses will transport riders to a mobile clinic at the Julia M. Carson Transit Center. By choosing this central location in downtown Indianapolis, the pilot hopes to serve as much of the city as possible. The clinic does not require patients to have insurance.
The pilot may be expanded if Wellness in Transit succeeds in its mission. It would then have more locations throughout the city.
Wellness service accompanies other service in Southeast Indianapolis
The healthcare service is not the only new on-demand service residents can use. Last week, IndyGo launched IndyGo Connect, an on-demand ride service in Southeast Indianapolis. Residents of Christian Park, Beech Grove, University Heights, and the Near Southeast can book van rides through the program. The van rides cost just $1.75, the price of one bus fare. However, the price is just 85 cents for seniors and children.
Riders can schedule Connect vans with the use of an app or phone number. Connect will then locate a convenient “virtual bus stop” for multiple riders from the same area. IndyGo says that grocery stores, Red Line stations, and the University of Indianapolis are popular destinations these vans will service.
These services both hope to serve lower-income communities. Southeastern Indianapolis residents have lower average incomes than the rest of the city, as well as higher rates of non-car commuters. These areas also have some of the least frequent bus routes in the area. Wellness in Transit, of course, is geared towards Indianapolis residents who struggle to access healthcare, either due to lack of insurance or means of transit.
