Effective Jan. 1, 2018, the fare to ride Hamilton County Express Public Transit will change.
Hamilton County Express is a reservation-based public transportation service for Hamilton County. In cooperation with INDOT and Hamilton County, Janus started the service in 2007 to meet the transportation needs of residents. The service is supported by a federal public transit matching grant. Matching funds are provided by Hamilton County and the State of Indiana.
Hamilton County Express provides origin-to-destination rides anywhere in Hamilton County. HCE also picks up and drops off at five IndyGo bus stops located along 82nd and 86th streets in order to enable transfers for passengers needing to travel between Hamilton and Marion counties.
The fare to ride will be lowered from $5 to $3 per one-way trip effective Jan. 1. A 10-ride pass for $30 will be available. HCE is discontinuing its one-month pass for unlimited rides, which was offered for $55. The student discount will also be eliminated.
To request a ride on Hamilton County Express, call 317-773-2668 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Rides can be requested up to two weeks in advance, with a 24-hour advance notice requirement. Hours of transportation service are 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, with limited service on Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Vehicles are wheelchair-accessible. HCE is a shared-ride service, meaning that other riders may be picked up or dropped off along the way to your destination.
Hamilton County Express provided more than 58,000 one-way passenger trips in 2016. Due to growing demand in the county for transportation, approximately nine percent of trip requests are declined due to full schedules. Because of increasingly crowded schedules and trip denials, customers are encouraged to call one to two weeks in advance to request a ride.
Janus Developmental Services, the operator of Hamilton County Express, is a nonprofit agency providing programs and services to adults with developmental disabilities. In addition to HCE, Janus operates Riverview Health Rides, which provides affordable transportation to individuals with medical appointments at Riverview Health facilities.