Red Line Creative Placemaking

The Sapphire Theatre Company produced this video to give future transit users an impression of what they might experience when they ride the new Red Line Rapid Transit. The bus-eye view approximates the increased visibility on the new vehicles, and the time-lapse format conveys the idea of faster travel times and more frequent service. The music and images are designed to convey the relaxed, easy feeling of an “ideal day” and reflect the varied character of the neighborhoods along the Red Line.

Photographer Andrea Smith believes the Red Line will “open doors” to other neighborhoods and experiences that could make people’s lives more multi-dimensioned.

With installed physical doors at five stops along the 13-mile Red Line Corridor, Andrea’s “Doors to Transit” project encourages people to explore beyond their comfort zone. The doors display original studio photography of children that visually communicates destinations and services riders can access along the Red Line. along with transit times to other destinations further down the Red Line.

Big Car Collaborative is making an impact on the Red Line stops along the South Indy Quality of Life area (SoIndy) by artistically addressing a challenge many residents in the area face; no desire to use other mobility options because they do not feel that there is anything close enough to walk to from the bus (or they simply don’t realize there is a bus stop close by). They also wanted to target riders from outside the area who may not be familiar with destinations, amenities, or the existing culture of the SoIndy area.

Based on their engagement activities undertaken in the spring and summer of 2018, Big Car is creating wayfinding sculptures placed at the future transit stops that provide time and distance estimates to both typical and more unusual destinations that are within a short bike or walk (0-1 mile distance) from the transit stop. The sculptures also host Red Line information, maps, and a specially curated playlist of songs particular to that stop, accessible through Spotify.

Jamie Pawlus is a freelance conceptual artist who is inspired by how people react with/to objects in their environment that are often mass-produced and placed by “authorities” for transactional purposes. She uses the form of these objects to undermine their authoritative nature and personalize the way people interact with them, often inserting humor.

Jamie created a temporary sculpture called Coming Soon….Seriously at the Virginia/Woodlawn stop. The text reflects double meaning: one, that the Red Line is under construction and will be implemented shortly; and two, once constructed and operational, a bus will be literally “coming soon” due to the 10-minute frequency of the Red Line. The “Seriously” text is a amusing comment reflecting the long time the Red Line has been discussed, acknowledging the controversy in the city about its coming, and that it is finally becoming a reality.

Graphic designer Carlos Sosa wanted to do a project that reflected the deeply ambiguous cultural feelings people have towards riding the bus, and to highlight the different types of Red Line riders (frequent riders, never-rode- before, ride-when-necessary, and even, yes, Red Line haters) and their feelings about themselves and the Red Line.

Carlos’s “Still, I Ride” poetry project asked community members to assemble a ten-stanza poem in the style and cadence of Maya Angelou’s ”Still I Rise” – ten stanzas to symbolize the 10-minute frequency of the new Red Line bus system. Winning stanza writers are featured in a booklet and set of posters that will be widely distributed free of charge along the Red Line corridor. The authors’ photographs will be displayed with the poetry to communicate the diversity of people in Indy for whom the bus is a significant part of their lives.