TRANSIT TOMORROW
The Future of Fort Wayne Transit Starts With Us.
Fort Wayne is growing, changing, and moving forward. Our bus system should be ready to move with it.
Transit Tomorrow is Citilink’s Long-Range Transit Plan, a community driven effort to reimagine the Citilink bus network in Fort Wayne for the next decade and beyond.
We’re taking a fresh look at where buses go, how often they run, and how we can better connect people to jobs, education, healthcare, businesses, and the places that matter most.
We want our whole community to be part of the conversation! A good bus network not only improves the lives of those who use it. It also helps the entire city of Fort Wayne by reducing the number of cars on the road and promoting the local economy. Click on the “Get Involved” tab to learn how you can help us to design a bus network that will make Fort Wayne a better place for all of us to live!
About
What Is Transit Tomorrow?
Big ideas | Better connections | A stronger Fort Wayne.
Transit Tomorrow is an opportunity to rethink how public transportation serves our community today and how it can better serve us tomorrow.
Rather than simply adjusting existing routes, Citilink is looking at the bigger picture.
Where do people need to go? When do they need to go? How can we make transit more useful for the average rider? How can we make the most of our current resources while planning for Fort Wayne’s future?
Throughout this process, we’ll work with riders, residents, employers, community organizations, local leaders, and other stakeholders to explore what our future bus network could look like.
Together, we’ll consider:
- Where buses go: Connecting people to the destinations and opportunities that matter.
- How often buses run: Exploring service frequency and reducing wait times where possible.
- When service is available: Understanding how transit can support different schedules and travel needs, including mornings, evenings and weekends.
- How routes connect: Making it easier to travel throughout our community.
- How we plan for growth: Preparing for changing neighborhoods, employment centers, and development patterns.
The result will be a long-range plan that helps guide Citilink’s future service decisions and investments, but some of the recommended changes could be implemented in the next few years.
Why Now?
Fort Wayne has changed. It’s time to take a fresh look at how we connect it.
Citilink has connected people to opportunities throughout Fort Wayne since 1968.
Over the decades, our community has grown, neighborhoods have changed, and the ways people live, work, and travel have evolved.
While Fort Wayne has continued to change, much of the underlying structure of our bus network has remained the same.
Transit Tomorrow gives us an opportunity to evaluate what’s working with the current bus network, identify opportunities for improvement, and explore how public transportation can better reflect today’s travel patterns and tomorrow’s needs.
Public transportation isn’t just about getting from Point A to Point B.
It’s about everything that happens when you get there.
The Choices
How Should Fort Wayne Move Forward?
Different priorities | Different possibilities | One shared future.
Designing a transit network means making choices.
Every community must decide how to balance the needs for frequent, convenient service with the desire to reach as many neighborhoods as possible.
With a limited number of buses, drivers, and operating resources, providing more of one often means providing less of the other.
Transit Tomorrow will help our community explore two important goals:
1- More Frequent Service: Prioritizing Ridership
A network focused on ridership concentrates buses in areas where more people live, work, and travel.
What could this mean?
- Buses arriving more frequently
- Shorter waits and more convenient trips
- Better connections along busy corridors
- Increased access to jobs, schools, shopping and medical centers
- Greater potential to attract riders
The trade-off: Some neighborhoods may need to walk further to reach the nearest bus stop or may lose access to bus service.
2 – Reaching More Places: Prioritizing Coverage
A network focused on coverage spreads buses across a larger geographic area, allowing more neighborhoods to have access to transit.
What could this mean?
- More neighborhoods served by a bus route
- Broader access to public transportation
- Connections to developing areas of the community
The trade-off: Buses may arrive less frequently, resulting in longer waits and less useful service.
Which Approach Is Right for Fort Wayne?
That’s what we’re here to explore.
Both ridership and coverage are important goals for transit, and neither approach is right or wrong.
Transit Tomorrow will examine how different priorities could shape our bus network so that the community can provide feedback on which priorities are most important for the future bus network. To do this, we will develop two contrasting bus network concepts for the community to consider in early 2027.
Your feedback will help guide the balance between these goals and inform the final plan.
[Download the Choices Report]
Suggested visual: Place the ridership versus coverage diagrams from the Choices Report side by side with captions explaining each approach.
How Transit Tomorrow Works
A plan built with the community, not just for the community.
Transit Tomorrow is a multi-phase process combining technical analysis, community conversations, and public feedback.
- Understand Today’s Network & Needs
Review existing routes, ridership, travel patterns, and how well current service connects people to important destinations.
- Listen and Learn
Engage riders, residents, employers, and community partners to better understand transportation needs and priorities.
- Explore the Possibilities
Develop two network concepts that demonstrate how different priorities could influence future service.
- Shape the Future Network
Gather public feedback on the concepts and use that input to develop a draft network plan.
- Create the Roadmap
Complete a draft long-range bus network plan that will be presented to the public for their review and feedback. Based on that input, a final bus network plan will be developed to guide future decisions about Citilink’s network, service, and investments.
Timeline
From today’s conversations to tomorrow’s connections.
Transit Tomorrow began in summer 2026 and the final plan is expected to approved by fall 2027. The timeline for implementing changes to the existing bus network has not yet been determined but could begin in the next few years.
Project dates are subject to change. Completion of the plan does not mean all recommended service changes will happen immediately.
Resources
Want to dig a little deeper?
Learn more about the planning process, explore the current Citilink network, and understand the choices involved in designing public transportation.
Project Reports
Transit Tomorrow Choices Report
Learn how transit networks are designed, how Citilink currently serves Fort Wayne, and the trade-offs involved in planning future service.
[Download the Choices Report]
Maps
Existing Citilink Network
See how today’s bus routes connect Fort Wayne and surrounding communities.
[View Existing Network Map]
Future network concepts and maps will be added as the project progresses.
Videos & Learning Resources
Understanding Transit Network Redesigns
See how other communities have approached redesigning their transit systems.
[Watch: Knoxville’s Network Redesign]
Ridership vs. Coverage
Learn more about how transit agencies balance frequent service with broader geographic access.
[Understanding Ridership vs. Coverage]
News & Project Updates
Follow Transit Tomorrow as the planning process moves forward.
Project announcements, public engagement opportunities, reports, and planning milestones will be shared here as they become available.
Sign up for updates here: TRANSIT TOMORROW UPDATES
Media Resources
Looking to share information about Transit Tomorrow with your organization or community?
[Citilink Logo] | [Photo Gallery] | [Project Information]
Get Involved
Your Voice Moves Us Forward
You don’t have to ride the bus to have a stake in public transportation.
Whether you ride Citilink every day, occasionally, or not at all, public transportation plays an important role in the increasing the accessibility, economic vitality, and overall quality of life in our community.
Transit Tomorrow is an opportunity to help shape what comes next.
What destinations should be easier to reach? What would make transit more useful? What should Citilink prioritize as Fort Wayne continues to grow?
Throughout the planning process, there will be opportunities to learn about the project, explore potential network concepts, and share your feedback.
Stay Connected
Sign up for updates about Transit Tomorrow, including project milestones and upcoming opportunities to participate.
[Sign Up for Email Updates]
Bring the Conversation to Your Community
Are you part of a neighborhood association, business, community organization, or other group interested in learning more about Transit Tomorrow?
Connect with the project team to discuss opportunities to learn more about the planning process.
Questions? Let’s Connect!
For questions or additional information about Transit Tomorrow, contact:
Matt Morley Email: mmorley@fwcitilink.com
Tomorrow Starts With All of Us.
We’re not just planning for the next bus ride. We’re planning for the next generation of Fort Wayne.
Transit Tomorrow: Your City. Your Connections. Your Future.
