June 26, 2016
A major transit center at 201 East Washington Street in Indianapolis first went into regular service. This facility was named after Julia M. Carson, who served as a member of the U.S. Representatives from 1997 until her death in 2007 at the age of 69. She was both the first woman and first African American to represent Indianapolis in Congress. During her tenure on Capitol Hill, Carson played a pivotal role in securing federal funds for the transit center that now bears her name.
The Julia M. Carson Transit Center is owned and operated by the Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation (branded as IndyGo), a public transit agency and municipal corporation of Indiana’s capital and most populous city. IndyGo has been in charge of the public bus transit system in Indianapolis since 1975.
A dedication ceremony for the Julia M. Carson Transit Center was held four days before operations formally began there. Indianapolis Star reporter John Tuohy, in covering those inaugural festivities, described the transit center’s amenities and anticipated advantages.
“The sleek 14,000-square-foot [1,300-square-meter] steel and glass building has an indoor waiting area with padded couches and arrival and departure screens,” Tuohy noted in his article. “IndyGo officials said the center will help shorten commuter times by streamlining several routes that now circle around Downtown to turn around in a so-called ‘loop.’ It will also make it easier for passengers to transfer buses.”
Following the death of Julia M. Carson, her grandson André Carson won the special election for her House seat. During the dedication ceremony for the transit center named after his grandmother, he cut the ribbon unfurled across the new building and also highlighted this public transit hub’s potential economic and quality-of-life benefits. He proclaimed, “My grandmother knew that transit brings employment opportunities.”
This transit center contains a total of 19 bus bays. In addition, it serves as a transfer point for the majority of IndyGo’s 28 bus routes.
Photo Credit: Public Domain
For more information on the Julia M. Carson Transit Center, please check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_M._Carson_Transit_Center
Transportation History 
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