News
Athens Public Transit Introduces Later Service Hours
By: WOUB Staff reports
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Athens residents can get around town even late into the night now that the city transportation system is starting later service hours.
The bus system will keep two lines open until 10 p.m. six days a week, starting in the fall, according to the Athens Public Transit website.
Lines 3 and 4 will be open Monday through Saturday, with Line 3’s last stop at 9:56 p.m. and Line 4’s at 9:45 p.m. The new hours will begin Aug. 15, according to a press release, and will run through the end of the season.
“A public hearing will be held in September to assess the initial effectiveness of the evening hours and take public comment on whether they should be continued after the end of the calendar year,” the release stated.
The route for Line 3 runs from Andover and Berkley roads on the south side of Athens, covers Richland Avenue and ends at the Market on State on East State Street. Line 4 runs from the west side through campus, including South Green and Riverpark Towers and the east-side neighborhoods. That route also ends at the Market on State.
The change in hours comes as APT assesses another pilot program that allows Ohio University students and employees with a OU identification card to ride on any transit route for free. The unlimited travel began July 1 and is being tested for a year and funded by OU’s Transportation and Parking Department.
“This partnership will allow the City and University to share infrastructure and other costs while working to reduce traffic pressure and improve access to and from key areas of campus,” OU President Roderick McDavis said in a news release when the program was announced.