'Reverse' commuter express begins Monday

CARMEL, Ind. (WISH) - With gas above $4 a gallon, a new option begins Monday if you drive to places like Carmel and Fishers.

Organizers hope the Reverse Commuter Express helps some people living downtown have the option of finding a job in the north suburbs.

The new option starts Monday morning at the intersection of Pennsylvania and Ohio Streets downtown. Times of departure are set for 5:45, 6:30, 6:55 and 7:05 a.m.

The shuttles head from there to two park and rides lots: One at the Carmel Meijer and the other at 106th Street and Lantern Road in Fishers.

Once there, riders have the option of four shuttles to transfer to, bringing them to more than two dozen locations on both the north and south sides of Carmel and Fishers.

Departure times from workplaces are between 3:45 p.m. and 6:15 p.m.

The Central Indiana Regional Transit Authority is teaming up with IndyGo for this venture.

Ehren Bingaman, CIRTA Executive Director, said, “There are jobs all over this region. We are a regional economy, and we aren't just about downtown Indianapolis. This is allowing access and mobility to those trying to get up there.”

 According to the latest data from the Hamilton County Alliance, nearly 13,000 people living in Marion County work in Hamilton County.

The cost is between $1 and $3 dollars, depending on whether or not you have a bus pass.

It's all funded through a federal grant, and the idea is to improve access to unfilled jobs in Hamilton County.

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