Local leaders, students, and community members gathered today to celebrate the addition of three new Pacers Bikeshare stations and 30 new electric bikes on the Butler University campus. This investment expands sustainable transportation options for Butler students, faculty, and staff, as well as Butler’s Midtown neighbors and residents of Marion County. 

Through the new partnership, all active Butler students, faculty, and staff will receive the Butler University Pass, which grants unlimited free 30-minute trips on Pacers Bikeshare. The system now includes 54 stations across Indianapolis. 

Butler funded the six-figure investment that brings Pacers Bikeshare to its Midtown campus, making it the first university to invest in stations. 

The new stations extend the benefits of the Pacers Bikeshare IndyRides Free program—supported by the Herbert Simon Family Foundation and Pacers Sports & Entertainment— which provides Marion County residents with a free annual pass for unlimited 30-minute trips. Since launching in May 2024, IndyRides Free has fueled record ridership growth each month. 

“Butler’s long-term vision is to make our campus a vibrant space where our students, faculty, staff, and neighbors can live, learn, work, and play,” said Butler University President James Danko. “This partnership with Pacers Bikeshare is a strategic investment in our Butler Gateway Project, which connects our campus with Midtown and beyond. Students gain better access to all that Indy has to offer, and our neighbors have increased access to the arts, sports, and entertainment offered on our campus.” 

The three new Pacers Bikeshare stations are located at: 

● Atherton Union on Hampton Drive – near residence halls and Greek Row 

● 46th Street & Sunset Avenue – near Clowes Memorial Hall and academic buildings 

● 49th Street & Sunset Avenue – near Hinkle Fieldhouse and the Health & Recreation Complex 

“We are grateful for Butler’s leadership, vision, and investment in their campus and community,” said Kären Haley, Executive Director of Indianapolis Cultural Trail, Inc. “As the first university to 

invest in Pacers Bikeshare stations, Butler demonstrates the vital role partnerships play in connecting people and places. Thanks to prior investment from the Herbert Simon Family Foundation and Pacers Sports & Entertainment, these new stations bring a new transportation option and greater accessibility to nearby neighborhoods and the entire Indianapolis community.” 

The Butler stations link directly to the Canal Towpath, providing easy connections to downtown Indianapolis and Broad Ripple. Pacers Bikeshare’s growing network of e-bikes and stations also includes locations in Broad Ripple, along the Monon Trail, at Riverside Park, and throughout the Indianapolis Cultural Trail: A Legacy of Gene & Marilyn Glick in downtown.