To be realistic, living in Indianapolis without a car is quite difficult.

You can think of it as a typical car city. To be honest about transportation, here's the situation.

First of all, almost everyone here drives a car. The reason is simple. Public transportation isn't that well developed.

On the other hand, the roads are well maintained. I-465 circles the city, and highways like I-65, I-70, I-69, and I-74 spread out from downtown.

The road structure itself is quite simple, so once you get used to it, it's convenient.

Traffic jams happen at specific times. From 7 AM to 9 AM and from 4 PM to 7 PM. During these times, it can be a bit frustrating to go anywhere.

Especially the intersection of 86th Street and Keystone, as well as the I-465 interchange, often get congested.

However, it's not as suffocating as in LA or New York. It's more like, "Oh, it's that time, so it's a bit congested."

The problem is public transportation. There is an IndyGo bus, but honestly, it's inconvenient without a car.

In 2019, a BRT line called the Red Line was established, and it's somewhat usable.

It goes from Broad Ripple through downtown down to the south. But in other areas, the bus intervals are long, and it's even more inconvenient at night or on weekends.

Suburbs like Carmel or Fishers have awkward connections.

So realistically, a car is essential.

The saying that the first thing you need to do is get a driver's license and find a car isn't just a saying.

Without this, your life becomes quite limited.

Bicycles are an option. There are well-maintained paths like the Monon Trail, but these are for exercise or weekends.

Using them for commuting is challenging due to distance and weather. In winter, it's just not feasible.

Uber and Lyft operate well. They cover all of Indianapolis. However, during rush hours or after major events, wait times increase, and prices go up.

Especially on days like the Indy 500 or NFL game days, downtown traffic feels almost paralyzed.

It's tough and expensive. On such days, it's better to use public transportation or rideshare.

In conclusion, Indianapolis is a car-centric city. Mobility is designed around cars.

So when choosing a home, you must consider the commuting distance. Many people think it will be fine just looking at the distance, but they end up accumulating driving stress every day.

Here, having a car is not just an option; it's a necessity.