That didn’t take long...

Ever since the Red Line went into operation, College Avenue...or at least the portion of it closest to home...has been devoid of regular IndyGo buses.

The Red Line’s tandem buses are electric, which took some getting used to. For one thing, they step off right smartly from a standing start; you’ll want to be holding on to something. They get up to a pretty good head of steam, too, if they get a long stretch with no red lights. Lastly, they are freaky quiet, with just a sort of dynamo whine as they motor along, and they’re as quiet as a modern car sitting still. (I’m assuming there are various electrically powered compressors aboard for brakes and doors and climate control.)

It’s that last feature that came to mind most recently when I was sitting on the patio at 20 Tap and a regular diesel IPS school bus sat clattering away at the red light not twenty feet off. Jesus, those things seem loud all of a sudden...