OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation Board Meeting - May 21, 2026

Other Meetings (I) — Thursday, May 21, 2026
BodyIndianapolis, Indiana
SessionOther Meetings (I)
DateThursday, May 21, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 50:50
Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

It's 404 on May the 21st.

0:03

This is the Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation Board of Directors meetings.

0:09

And thank you all for attending.

0:12

And the first thing we're going to do is the call to order.

0:16

And that'll be done by our general counsel, Bob Freud.

0:25

Good afternoon.

0:26

Directors, please indicate your attendance when I call your name.

0:31

Yeah.

0:32

Directors.

0:35

Director Quick.

0:37

Present.

0:37

Director Wilson.

0:39

Director Gardner.

0:40

Present.

0:41

Director Hahn.

0:42

Present.

0:44

Our Mr.

0:44

Chair.

0:45

Okay.

0:46

Thank you, everyone.

0:48

Now we're going to uh suspend the agenda.

0:51

Yeah.

0:51

Did you want to do that or do you want to um did you want to let Jenny do that?

0:58

And regular agenda.

1:00

Thanks.

1:03

Do you want me to work?

1:06

All right.

1:06

We're going to start off with awards and accommodations.

1:08

This is Jennifer Pierce, President CEO.

1:11

And I will start off as I always do with our safe drivers.

1:17

So the operators listed here were recognized in April for their safe driving record and received a National Safety Council patch pin and certificate.

1:26

I'll draw attention to the first person on that list, Miss Lakeisha Carpenter.

1:32

She has been working with us for 17 years and has 15 years of safe driving.

1:37

So thank you to everyone on that list for their dedication and safe driving, and especially Ms.

1:42

Carpenter.

1:45

You may.

1:46

Next is our May Operations Employee of the Month.

1:49

We're proud to recognize dispatcher Tiana Dunlap as this month's employee of the month.

1:55

She's responsible for ensuring that buses are dispatched efficiently and on time.

2:00

Her nominator praised her clear, concise, and proactive communication, which supports team coordination and service reliability.

2:07

Congratulations to Tiana.

2:10

Next, I wanted to share that ACEC Indiana recently selected the Purple Line as a merit award recipient.

2:18

The award was announced during ACEC's Engineering Excellence Award luncheon in April.

2:23

Matt Duffy and Christian Cameron represented us at the awards ceremony alongside partners from our construction management consultant Butler Bearman and Seifert, who were kind enough to be the ones to nominate the project and several of their sub-consultants.

2:38

The Purple Line was recognized both for its engineering complexity and its long-term impact on the community.

2:44

As you all know, I'm sure the project transformed a 15-mile corridor connecting downtown Indianapolis to Lawrence into a modern bus rapid transit line that improves access to jobs, education, health care, and other essential services for tens of thousands of residents.

2:59

Judges highlighted the project's innovative construction management approach, including the coordination of 92 utility relocation plans, extensive ADA and pedestrian improvements, and the delivery of a large multi-jurisdictional infrastructure project while remaining on budget and on schedule.

3:17

The project also stood out for its sustainability and community benefits.

3:21

The purple line incorporates zero emission vehicles, modern accessible stations, and significant investments in sidewalks, multi-use paths, stormwater infrastructure, and neighborhood connectivity.

3:31

Ultimately, the award recognized not only the technical achievement of delivering a highly complex project, but also the collaboration between Indigo, our consultants, contractors, utility partners, and the surrounding communities to create a safer, more connected, and more accessible Indianapolis.

3:46

So thank you to ACEC Indiana for recognizing the award and congratulations to everybody that worked on it, which is a lot of people here.

3:57

All right.

3:58

Next I want to share.

4:30

Of timed and judged events designed to test precision driving, safety, technical knowledge, and vehicle maintenance skills under pressure.

4:38

Operators navigate a challenging obstacle course that simulates real world driving conditions, and maintenance competitors compete on hands-on diagnostic and technical exercises.

4:50

Every point matters, and the competition reflects the very highest standards in public transportation professionalism and safety.

4:57

There's so much preparation involved.

4:59

I talked to our operator this weekend.

5:03

She won our local event back in March.

5:07

From then on, she was practicing on her own time after work.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Engineering And Infrastructure█████████████████████████████████████████41%
Public Transit████████████████████20%
Procedural█████████████████17%
Fiscal Sustainability██████████10%
Technology and Innovation███████7%
Personnel Matters███3%
Accountability██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation Board Meeting - May 21, 2026

The Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation (IndyGo) Board of Directors met on May 21, 2026, at 9:15 AM. The meeting included recognition of employees, appointment of a new CFO, and approval of multiple contracts and service agreements. All action items were approved unanimously. Key highlights include the appointment of Justin Burkhope as CFO and updates on the Blue Line construction and financial performance.

Employee Recognition and Awards

  • Safe drivers were recognized for April, including Lakeisha Carpenter (17 years of service, 15 years safe driving) who received a National Safety Council patch pin and certificate.
  • Tiana Dunlap was named May Operations Employee of the Month for her work as a dispatcher.
  • The Purple Line received a Merit Award from ACEC Indiana for engineering excellence and community impact.
  • Employees who competed in the national transit rodeo were recognized for their dedication and performance.
  • Tyrone, a facilities team member, was honored for four decades of service.
  • IndyGo received notice of an $850,000 federal earmark for paratransit vehicles.

Appointment of CFO

  • The Board suspended the regular order to consider and adopt Resolution 2026-04, appointing Justin Burkhope as Controller with the title Chief Financial Officer effective immediately. The motion passed unanimously after a roll call vote. Board members expressed strong support for Burkhope, noting his performance as interim CFO.

Action Items (All Approved Unanimously)

  • A1: Board Minutes – Approved minutes from the April 16, 2026 meeting.
  • A2: Bus Detailing Services – Approved a three-year contract with two option years with Detail Experts LLC for bus detailing services. Total five-year value: $1,335,696. No XBE participation due to labor-only services.
  • A3: Far East Side Bus Stop Improvements – Approved construction award to Shuck Corporation for $1,083,840.50 to improve 42 bus stops including bus pads, curb ramps, and crosswalks. Project includes a $350,000 matching grant from DPW. DBE commitment: 15% (two WBE subcontractors).
  • A4: Federal Compliance Support Services – Approved a three-year contract with two option years with RLS & Associates Inc. for federal compliance support. Total five-year cost not to exceed $203,000. No XBE participation.
  • A5: Masabi Fare Media Purchase – Approved an amendment to increase the contract by $150,000 for additional physical fare media (smart cards, paper tickets) for the MyKey Plus system launch on July 1. New total: $2,412,088.
  • A6: WSP Design Services for Blue Line – Approved a task order not to exceed $1,420,000 for design services during construction. DBE utilization anticipated at 16.3%. This is expected to be the last large task order, covering through 2029.
  • A7: TalkDesk Telecommunications Software – Approved a two-year contract extension worth $210,190 for cloud-based software supporting the customer care center. No XBE participation.
  • A8: Ecolane Transit Technology for Paratransit – Approved a one-year contract extension at $168,075 for software licensing and support for IndyGo Access paratransit services. This represents a savings of $44,000 over the prior year. No XBE participation.

Information Items

  • I1: Finance Report (April 2026) – Presented by CFO Justin Burkhope. Operating revenue was over budget by 5% ($542,375). Passenger revenue $89,000 over budget and $300,000 above last year. Total wages and benefits were over budget due to overtime and a five-pay-period month. Overall, April was $885,286 under budget, and year-to-date is $8.5 million under budget. A request was made for a master list of software contracts; staff committed to providing it.
  • I2: IndyGo Foundation Corridor Report – Deferred to the June meeting for a full presentation.
  • I3: Blue Line Construction Change Order Update – Mike Schneider reported on Package A change order #3, increasing the contract by $193,543.66 to a total of $208,215,059. The change includes 36 modifications, mostly minor, and nine deductions. Key items: added curb ramps, concrete joint repairs, eliminated some street light relocation costs, and added work on the POGS run tunnel. No significant schedule impact.
  • I4: WSP Design Service Allowance on Blue Line – Matt Duffy reported on the $375,000 design allowance approved in May 2025. The update listed specific task orders funded from that allowance, including a NEPA reevaluation for an outfall at Eagle Creek. Costs are drawn from the project contingency budget.

Key Outcomes

  • All action items (A1–A8) and the CFO appointment (A9) were approved unanimously by the Board.
  • The Board directed staff to provide a comprehensive list of software contracts by department with expiration dates.
  • The meeting adjourned with a reminder of Memorial Day and a call to honor military service members.

Meeting Transcript

It's 404 on May the 21st. This is the Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation Board of Directors meetings. And thank you all for attending. And the first thing we're going to do is the call to order. And that'll be done by our general counsel, Bob Freud. Good afternoon. Directors, please indicate your attendance when I call your name. Yeah. Directors. Director Quick. Present. Director Wilson. Director Gardner. Present. Director Hahn. Present. Our Mr. Chair. Okay. Thank you, everyone. Now we're going to uh suspend the agenda. Yeah. Did you want to do that or do you want to um did you want to let Jenny do that? And regular agenda. Thanks. Do you want me to work? All right. We're going to start off with awards and accommodations. This is Jennifer Pierce, President CEO. And I will start off as I always do with our safe drivers. So the operators listed here were recognized in April for their safe driving record and received a National Safety Council patch pin and certificate. I'll draw attention to the first person on that list, Miss Lakeisha Carpenter. She has been working with us for 17 years and has 15 years of safe driving. So thank you to everyone on that list for their dedication and safe driving, and especially Ms. Carpenter. You may. Next is our May Operations Employee of the Month. We're proud to recognize dispatcher Tiana Dunlap as this month's employee of the month. She's responsible for ensuring that buses are dispatched efficiently and on time. Her nominator praised her clear, concise, and proactive communication, which supports team coordination and service reliability. Congratulations to Tiana. Next, I wanted to share that ACEC Indiana recently selected the Purple Line as a merit award recipient. The award was announced during ACEC's Engineering Excellence Award luncheon in April. Matt Duffy and Christian Cameron represented us at the awards ceremony alongside partners from our construction management consultant Butler Bearman and Seifert, who were kind enough to be the ones to nominate the project and several of their sub-consultants. The Purple Line was recognized both for its engineering complexity and its long-term impact on the community. As you all know, I'm sure the project transformed a 15-mile corridor connecting downtown Indianapolis to Lawrence into a modern bus rapid transit line that improves access to jobs, education, health care, and other essential services for tens of thousands of residents. Judges highlighted the project's innovative construction management approach, including the coordination of 92 utility relocation plans, extensive ADA and pedestrian improvements, and the delivery of a large multi-jurisdictional infrastructure project while remaining on budget and on schedule. The project also stood out for its sustainability and community benefits. The purple line incorporates zero emission vehicles, modern accessible stations, and significant investments in sidewalks, multi-use paths, stormwater infrastructure, and neighborhood connectivity. Ultimately, the award recognized not only the technical achievement of delivering a highly complex project, but also the collaboration between Indigo, our consultants, contractors, utility partners, and the surrounding communities to create a safer, more connected, and more accessible Indianapolis.

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