Used-car frenzy makes for record prices, ‘cutthroat’ sales floor
The used-car lot, ordinarily a haven of haggling and wheeling-and-dealing, is now a hotbed for wallet-busting transactions.
Transportation
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Billionaire Branson reaches space in his own ship, beating Bezos
The brief, up-and-down flight—about as long as Alan Shepard’s first U.S. spaceflight in 1961—was a splashy and unabashedly commercial plug for Virgin Galactic, which plans to start taking paying customers on joyrides next year.
Southwest, American delays hint at hard summer for air travelers
Southwest Airlines customers have struggled with thousands of delays and hundreds of canceled flights in the past three weeks. American Airlines is also grappling with a surge in delays, and it has trimmed its schedule through mid-July.
U.S. plans to make airlines refund fees if bags are delayed
In 2019, the last full year before the pandemic, passengers paid U.S. airlines $5.76 billion in fees on checked bags, according to the Transportation Department.
Subsidizing spokes: Amazon to reimburse bicycling office employees
The benefit can reimburse the cost of using a bike-sharing program, parking and even maintenance to cover two tune-ups a year, the company said.
Gas prices rise again, with no sign of letting up this summer
The national average for a gallon of gas is now almost 5 cents higher than a month ago and 92 cents higher than this time last year. The increases are even higher in Indianapolis.
Some used vehicles now selling for more than original sticker price
In the past year, used vehicle prices on average have climbed 30%, according to Black Book, which tracks car and truck data. That’s created many crazy situations where high-demand vehicles are selling for more than they did when they were new.
Airport working with city to find new use for Indianapolis Downtown Heliport
Under the partnership, the airport and city are expected to “work cooperatively” to find new potential uses for the 4.9-acre property, which aviation officials have requested to close following a decline in the facility’s use in recent years.
Travel rebound: 2 million people go through U.S. airports
The Transportation Security Administration announced Saturday that 2.03 million travelers were screened at airport checkpoints on Friday. It was the first time in 15 months that the number of security screenings has surpassed 2 million in a single day.
Indiana to spend $475M on downstate road projects
Indiana will spend $475 million on three significant downstate road projects, including $200 million to finish a leg of I-69 from Evansville to the Ohio River.
New nonstop flight to Austin coming to Indianapolis International Airport
The flight will be offered daily for nearly a month before shifting to a twice-daily schedule Oct. 2., with bookings starting June 14.
Slow charging times remain obstacle for electric vehicle makers
Automakers have developed EVs that go farther per charge and fill up faster. Problem is, most public charging stations fill cars much too slowly, requiring hours—not minutes—to provide enough electricity for an extended trip.
Two dead in small plane crash in central Indiana
The plane left the The Leadership In Flight Training, or LIFT, Academy in Indianapolis before 10 a.m. Sunday The academy was founded at by locally based Republic Airways in 2018 to train future commercial pilots and maintenance technicians.
House Dems unveil $547B infrastructure bill amid Biden talks
The bill would boost investment in roads and bridges by about 54% with an emphasis on fixing existing infrastructure. It would dedicate about $4 billion to electric vehicle charging stations and would provide record levels of investment for pedestrian and cyclist pathways.
Despite pandemic, traffic deaths last year hit highest number since 2007
Preliminary data from the Federal Highway Administration shows that vehicle miles traveled fell by about 430.2 billion miles last year when compared with 2019.
Volkswagen to use AI to analyze traffic in Carmel using city cameras
The auto company said Wednesday that Carmel will be the first city in the world where the software—which was developed in-house at Volkswagen—will be used to gather traffic and intersection data.
Travel numbers climb as Americans hit the road for holiday
Americans hit the road in near-record numbers at the start of the Memorial Day weekend, as their eagerness to break free from coronavirus confinement overcame higher prices for flights, gasoline and hotels.
U.S. cuts Mexico’s aviation safety rating, curbing new flights
The downgrade means that U.S. airlines won’t be able to sell tickets on flights operated by Mexican airlines, a setback that will mainly hit Delta Air Lines, which has a partnership with Aeromexico.
What travelers need to know about the gas shortage
According to crowdsourced data from the gas-station-finder app GasBuddy, fuel shortages were reported in 14 states as of Thursday afternoon.
Napleton Automotive sues former Carmel general manager for taking secrets, poaching employees
Napleton Automotive Group claims a former general manager in Carmel took confidential information when he left in February for the same role at Bob Rohrman Kia in Lafayette.