INDIANAPOLIS JITNEY EXPRESS: A SUMMARY OF THE OPERATING EXPERIENCE

Privately-operated jitney services, once popular in American cities and then nearly regulated out of existence, are enjoying renewed interest as urban travel options which could help alleviate public transit cost pressures. This case study documents the unconventional efforts of a private taxi company in Indianapolis to initiate such a service despite regulatory obstacles. Beginning in May 1981, Yellow Cab of Indianapolis initiated its Jitney Express service along three suburb-to-downtown routes. On two of the three routes the jitney ran parallel to public transit, offering more frequent service at a higher fare. Poor ridership on two of the routes caused their cancellation shortly after implementation. The remaining route carries a ridership which appears to be distinct from METRO transit, which claims little or no impact on its operation by Jitney Express. The Jitney Express experiment is important in several respects: acquiring the public support and regulatory approaches to initiate jitney service is an example in private entrepreneurship; the service addresses the needs of a different travel market; and the service is self-sustaining without public subsidy. The report documents the process of acquiring operating approval for the jitney, and presents information on operation characteristics, ridership and costs.

• Corporate Authors:

  Comsis Corporation

  11501 Georgia Avenue
  Wheaton, MD  United States  20902

  Urban Mass Transportation Administration

  Office of Technical Assistance & Safety, 400 7th Street, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Hansen, M
  • Kuzmyak, J R
• Publication Date: 1985-7

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: 26 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Case studies; Jitneys; Paratransit services; Private enterprise; Public relations; Regulatory reform; Ridership
• Identifier Terms: Urban Mass Transportation Act
• Uncontrolled Terms: Public support
• Geographic Terms: Indianapolis (Indiana)
• Old TRIS Terms: Umta section 6
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00451500
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: UMTAMA-06-0049-85-13
• Contract Numbers: DOT-TSC-1753
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Nov 30 1985 12:00AM