“We’re tying to provide those riders who took our flex routes during the day the opportunity to get home,” said Ken Collier, the Greene County public transit executive director.
Collier said plans for a late night route have been in the works since the routes were initiated in 2010. The agency had routes to take riders to Fairborn, Xenia and Yellow Springs but the riders were unable to take public transportation back to their homes later in the evening. The other buses stop running at 6 p.m.
“We knew when we expanded to the Beavercreek area, we knew there would be a service needed for individuals who are getting off work later in the evening and not adhering to the typical 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule,” Collier said.
The new route was funded with $57,000 in U.S. Department of Transportation funds and $14,250 from the county public transportation agency. The grant will be enough to fund the Purple Line for two years, he said.
“By switching to a flex route service, riders will no longer have to call ahead to schedule a ride and the fare will be half the costs, Collier said.
Regular fare for the bus is $1.50 and riders must use exact change. Passengers age 65 and older will be charged a reduced fare of 75 cents.
Greene CATS project late night riders will grow and level off at 700 per month. The other routes average about 1,155 riders monthly.
Go to www.co.greene.oh.us/greenecats for more information about Greene CATS bus schedules.
About the Author