News
New bus service to capital city begins Monday
December 31, 2008 @ 12:00 AM
BRYAN CHAMBERS
The Herald-Dispatch
HUNTINGTON -- A new bus service connecting Huntington and Charleston will begin Monday, Jan. 5, according to a news release.
The weekday-only service, called Intelligent Transit, will leave Pullman Square at 6:40 a.m. and arrive at the State Capitol at 8 a.m., making stops in Barboursville and Putnam County along the way. The return service will leave Charleston at 5:15 p.m. and make its last stop in Huntington at 6:45 p.m.
Fares are $3 one way, or $6 round trip. Riders in Putnam County can pay $2 for service from the Crooked Creek Park-and-Ride to either Huntington or Charleston. Value cards also are available in $30 and $40 denominations.
The service is a joint effort between the West Virginia Division of Public Transit, The Tri-State Transit Authority in Huntington and the Kanawha Valley Regional Transportation Authority in Charleston.
Vicki Shaffer, president and chief executive officer of the Tri-State Transit Authority, told The Herald-Dispatch when the service was announced in August that the bus service is traveling from Huntington to Charleston because traffic data suggested more commuters travel to Charleston for work.
The service is specifically designed for the business or college commuter and complete with handicap accessibility, bike racks, WiFi connectivity and complimentary newspapers, according to the news release.
The service is free during the first week it is offered.
A federal grant will pay 100 percent of the cost for a bus route between Huntington and Charleston the first year. There will be a matching requirement for the next two years, with the federal grant paying 80 percent of the costs and the state paying the rest.
The funds are through the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program, which is overseen by the U.S Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration.
For more information about the bus schedule and routes, call 304-343-7586 in Charleston or 304-529-7433 in Huntington, or go to www.ridesmartwv.com.
(7/1/08) - New Bus Route Bustling
By JEAN TARBETT HARDIMAN
Herald-Dispatch
IRONTON -- Brenda Turner got on the TTA Tuesday in Ironton. She took it to Ironton Hills Plaza, and then right to Huntington to buy a monthly bus pass.
"I pay $35 for a monthly pass, and I go anywhere I want, any time," she said. You can't fill your tank up with gas for that."
On her way back from Huntington, she went to the bank and then stopped at Wendy's before catching the bus to get back home.
She plans to use the bus often for errands and doctor's appointments. She and other Lawrence County residents now have the same opportunity for the first time in about 35 years.
Tuesday marked the inaugural rides for the TTA's Lawrence County bus service, with a few different routes. One runs from Proctorville into Huntington and back. One runs from Huntington through Chesapeake and South Point to Ironton and back. There's also a downtown Ironton route, and another route will go from Ironton into Russell and Ashland when the Ironton-Russell bridge reopens in a few months after an expansion project.
Turner said she is looking forward to that route opening so she can get to doctor's appointments without depending too heavily on neighbors and friends.
Meanwhile, several other potential bus riders have been calling the TTA and hopping onto the buses to ask drivers questions and pick up bus route schedules.
"Our telephone has been ringing off the hook with people asking for route schedules," said Paul Davis , TTA's general manager. "So far, everything has been great. The buses have been on time on our schedules. The timing points are correct."
Curt Hodges, a driver who makes Ironton and Proctorville-to-Huntington routes, said it was pretty steady for the first day.
"It's not heavy, but word is getting out," Hodges said Tuesday afternoon. "A lot of people are asking questions."
Lawrence County residents seem very enthusiastic about the new service, he said.
"Everybody was waving today as we went by," Hodges said. "They're excited that it's in service now."
The trips are free this week and next week, and basic fare will be $1 after that, with increases depending on the distance traveled.
TTA is partnering with the Lawrence County Port Authority and the Lawrence County Community Action Organization to provide the bus routes.
TTA is working on a new Web site that features the Lawrence County bus schedules, which should be ready in upcoming weeks at www.tta-wv.com, Davis said. In the meantime, Lawrence County residents can get the schedules on a bus. They can hop on at one of the Lawrence County bus stops, marked with signs, or even flag down a bus to pick one up, TTA chief executive officer Vickie Shaffer said. They also can pick one up on any of the Cabell County buses, or at the TTA Center on 4th Avenue in Huntington.
(7/1/08)- We have new routes!
Maps and schedules are available on this site. For more information, click here.