JOHN

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After serving active duty in the US Navy during the Persian Gulf War and

then in the US Naval Reserves in Virginia, John was happy to return to his hometown of Indianapolis. A graduate of Cathedral High School, John took a job at FedEx. But he was dismayed to discover how difficult his commute to the airport was. He would ride the bus for 90 minutes one way to then catch the airport shuttle that would take him to his actual job site. He would then work a four-hour shift and at the end of his shift, he would the bus for another 90 minutes back home. John spent nearly as much time getting to work as he spent on the job. Unfortunately, changing assigned shifts was impossible because the bus didn’t begin its route until after he would have had to be at work.

John now works at Giordano’s downtown. He lives in Carson Heights, which conveniently has a bus stop he uses to get to work. However, John is finding it challenging to work the later hours required as a restaurant server as it creates a very limited window to catch the bus back home. The weekends are even worse because of the limited hours of service, so John ends up cutting out of work early and missing out on gratuities from tables he would have served. If he misses the bus, he has to walk an hour to get home.

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John is relieved that the Marion County Transit Plan will increase the bus routes and lengthen the evening and weekend hours. It will have a direct impact on his ability to keep his job and to pay his bills.