IndyGo hosts first back-to-school night to sign students up for MyKey cards

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — IndyGo held its first back-to-school night to help families learn about the transit system and sign students up for the MyKey card.

Any student 18 or younger can get a MyKey card and ride the bus for half-price, and a second group of students can ride for free through a partnership with their high schools.

Younger students like Lillana Scruggs are still riding a traditional yellow school bus to elementary school every day, but has a my key card to ride the city bus with family for half-price.

“I like all the people on the bus and the bus drivers,” Scruggs said. “It makes me happy because it makes my heart feel great.”

Her mom, Latonya Barnett, said only paying half of the fare is an important cost-saving measure.

“That’s a bonus value for our family because we ride the bus often and we’re prepared while we’re riding the bus,” Barnett said.

Some schools in the city partner with IndyGo to transport older students to both school and other activities on the city bus for free.

“The card is gonna really help me get through all of my stuff and get to school, and everything,” Brandon Jordan, a 9th grade student at Purdue Poly Tech, said. “And I get to see a lot of things to do after school.”

Students with the free-fare card can use it outside of riding to and from school. Jordan Patterson, manager of special programs at IndyGo, said this gives high school students the freedom to get to extracurricular activities.

“Free trips to get to their jobs, free trips to get to their extracurricular activities, and to be able to advocate for themselves in the City of Indianapolis,” Patterson said.