HEALTHCARE

Indianapolis trims grocery-ride funding from $148K to $48K; FEEDINDY paused

WISH‑TV reports the city included $148,000 in its 2026 budget to fund FEEDINDY, a Lyft partnership that provided up to $5 per grocery ride. The city paused FEEDINDY after it went over budget in April; the proposed 2027 budget allocates $48,000 for a narrower transport program tied to the Grocery Access Program.

BUSINESSINDY BRIEFBy BusinessIndy Editorial StaffCommentsPublished October 6, 2026 at 4:33 PM EDT

AI-generated illustration of the topic: Indianapolis trims grocery-ride funding from $148K to $48K; FEEDINDY paused — AI illustration · Not a photograph of the reported event.

WISH‑TV reports the 2026 city budget included $148,000 to pay for FEEDINDY, a partnership with Lyft that provided up to $5 per ride to and from grocery stores. The city paused FEEDINDY after it went over budget in April, and the proposed 2027 budget would set aside $48,000 for transportation support that does not include FEEDINDY.

The Grocery Access Program, which has existed since 2019 and will remain, is limited to residents inside specific boundaries on the far east and near northwest sides and requires an application. WISH‑TV also reported the city may shift access to that program from an open application to referrals. Providers said FEEDINDY’s widely shared code made it broadly accessible; some pantry clients rely on walking, biking or transit to reach services.

WHY IT MATTERS

FEEDINDY was a simple, city-funded Lyft subsidy: people used a code to get up to $5 toward rides to grocery stores. That made short grocery trips easier for anyone who saw and used the code, including people who did not apply for other city programs. Pausing FEEDINDY and cutting the proposed transportation budget narrows that open access—officials told WISH‑TV the smaller 2027 allocation would fund a limited program tied to the Grocery Access Program, which serves only defined neighborhoods and requires an application.

For example, WISH‑TV reported a Westminster Neighborhood Services client who walked 11 blocks back from the pantry carrying a roughly 25‑pound food box; staff say many visitors arrive by foot, bike or bus. If ride subsidies are not restored or if access is moved to a referral-only model, fewer residents who lack a car or who cannot manage long, heavy walks may have the same easy option to get grocery rides. Watch whether the city council adopts the proposed 2027 budget and whether the Office of Public Health and Safety finalizes a referral policy for the Grocery Access Program; those decisions will determine which transportation supports remain available.

Report a correction · Editorial standards · Our source directory

BusinessIndy examines this development and its implications for Indiana businesses and communities using the linked sources.

Related coverage

Reader discussion

Join the discussion. Every comment is checked before publication. Community rules and appeals