INDIANAPOLIS — A bus driving the wrong way up Capitol Avenue is a sight you've probably never seen, but it is something you should get used to as Indy's first rapid transit line is literally changing the way we drive.
It's been talked about for years and now IndyGo's Red Line is finally taking shape, changing parking and traffic patterns from 66th Street in Broad Ripple to the University of Indianapolis on the south side. And Indiana drivers are less than caught up on what the new traffic lines mean.
The new line brings several things Central Indiana drivers have never seen before ... like a traffic lane painted red.
"So the solid red lanes are for the buses only," Lauren Day said. "Those are primarily on College, Meridian and on Capitol, as well."
Or a lane that is two colors, red and black.
"The red and black-hashed lines are bus and turn, so primarily for the buses, unless a driver is making a right or left-hand turn," Day said.
And another thing you will see that you don't want to catch you off guard ... a bus driving the opposite way on a one-way street.
"I would still think I was cray or still awake from last night!" Anuj Shah said. "I would jump out of the way."
Day said it is something drivers and pedestrians will see on Capitol Avenue.
"On Capitol, there is a northbound bus-only lane, and that is so we can move riders north and south along Capitol," Day said.
Another feature is that every driver and pedestrian needs to be on the look-out for is the new crosswalks. They will allow passengers to catch the bus, which in many cases will stop in the center of the street.
"All of the crosswalks are signalized intersections, so it's safe for pedestrians to cross," Day said. "We also have bus-only signals. Those will signal for the buses when they need to move ahead of traffic in order to make a turn or get through the intersection."
