Ridership on the IndyGo Red Line surpassed 230,000 in the first month of Indianapolis' new rapid transit bus service.

IndyGo last week reported 230,651 boardings in September, or an average of nearly 7,700 per day. Total bus ridership systemwide was up 30%.

The Red Line has been free to ride since it launched Sept. 1. Nov. 11 is the planned date for tickets to be required, which is expected to affect ridership.

"We expect a slight decrease in the upcoming months system-wide due to the winter and the end of the free period," said Vanesa Rivera, external communications coordinator for IndyGo. "Numbers should be back up in the spring, and we expect a significant jump in June when we introduce the new network."

The new network refers to the Marion County Transit Plan, a host of IndyGo improvements including higher bus frequencies, easier transfers and longer hours funded through a 0.25% income tax increase approved by Marion County voters in 2016.

IndyGo originally set a goal of 11,000 riders per day on the Red Line.

IndyGo says the ridership numbers are still considered preliminary and subject to further validation. The electric buses have automatic passenger counter sensors on all of the doors. Two counts equal one passenger.

IndyGo attributed the 30 percent systemwide spike to a host of factors: the Red Line, free rides on all system buses during the first two weeks in September, route changes, and weekend service added to local routes.

The free fare period on the Red Line was supposed to last through only September. But IndyGo extended the free fare period through Nov. 10 because of delays with launching the new ticketing system, MyKey.

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Starting Nov. 11 riders will need to pay to ride the Red Line, which will cost the same as other routes throughout the IndyGo system: $1.75 for a ticket that includes a two-hour transfer, and $4 for an all-day pass.

Should more delays occur with the MyKey vendor, Flowbird, the IndyGo board can authorize another free fare extension.

The Red Line, which replaced IndyGo bus Routes 17 and 22, runs 13.1 miles from Broad Ripple to the University of Indianapolis. The buses arrive in 10- to 20-minute intervals, and the system has features similar to light rail, including dedicated lanes and standalone raised-platform stations.

IndyGo earlier this month announced that riders who need to get to 96th Street or Greenwood no longer need to take transfer buses from the Red Line. Some of the buses on the Red Line route will continue on to those destinations, past the Red Line 66th Street and University of Indianapolis stations.

Contact IndyStar reporter Kellie Hwang at 317-444-6032 or kellie.hwang@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter: @KellieHwang.