Officials hope more employees take advantage of public bus service
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CHRIS MORELLI/THE EXPRESS
Businesspeople and business representatives board a River Valley Transit bus at the Clinton County Community Center for a free ride to promote use of the public bus system serving southern Clinton County. In addition to seeking more resident riders, River Valley Transit officials hope employers convince more employees to ride the bus to work
LOCK HAVEN -- Looking for an alternate way to get to work?
Car in the shop and need some temporary transportation?
Don't want to travel in inclement weather?
Just looking for a way to get around town and run some errands?
Take the bus.
This week, representatives from Williamsport-based River Valley Transit (RVT) met at the Clinton County Community Center to talk with business owners and community leaders about the benefits of riding the bus.
Following a short presentation, those in attendance hopped aboard a bus to get a glimpse of exactly what routes the busses travel each day.
The benefits of riding the bus?
Let us count the ways.
"It's a way to eliminate your carbon footprint, going green as well as it being economically friendly," said RVT business manager Andrew Kremser. "It's helpful for everyone … from your average citizen to the CEO of a company to someone who is low income and struggling. It's great for everyone."
Kremser talked to those in attendance about learning the ins and outs of riding the bus in Clinton County.
"We just have to get over that first step so you can take this back to your clients, your patients, your customers, to help them get over that first step as well. You can help educate them," Kremser said.
According to Trevor Brandt, web and social media coordinator for River Valley, the day was a great success.
"We just really wanted to present on the services that we offer and the easy ways to navigate the bus in Lock Haven," Brandt said.
There was a plethora of information made available at Wednesday's meeting. Here's a closer look at the items discussed:
Technology
According to Brandt, technology is a great way to put the bus service to use. In additon to bus schedules being posted online, those riding the bus can use Google Maps to plan their ride. Simply go to google.com/maps and click the blue route arrow. After that, select the bus icon. Then, type in starting and ending locations. Once riders input their location, they can add additional stops to the trip and reorganize stop orders. Then, simply select the trip that works best. Riders can use the schedule explorer to see trips for different dates and times.
Once a trip has been selected, the rider receives detailed route information.
"All of our live bus data is fed directly to Google Maps. This will give you a really good overview of how the person can get from point A to point B," Brandt said. "Once you have your route selected, you can print it or even add notes in. It will spell everything out."
If technology isn't your thing, there is a print version of the Clinton County Ride Guide, a glossy-style magazine which features maps and schedules.
"The Ride Guide is a great tool for quick reference," Brandt said. "It's really helpful if you're not near a computer. You can find everything you need in there."
Routes
There are a pair of Clinton County connector routes the "Hospital Route" runs from Jersey Shore to Lock Haven Hospital. The "Walmart Route" runs from Jersey Shore to the Walmart in Mill Hall. There are a variety of stops, including the Weis Market in Jersey Shore, the UPMC at Bald Eagle Court, the Clinton County Community Center, Lock Haven University, Clinton County Housing Authority, Lock Haven Hospital and Walmart.
Kremser said that the routes cover a lot of ground and make several key stops.
"I've been up in this area for more than a decade and during my time, there's been no form of public transportation," Kremser said. "It's very much needed in this area."
The routes have been in effect for close to a year. Kremser said the response to the bus service has been very good thus far.
"When we first started – like anything new – ridership was a little shaky," Kremser said. "But as the busses have been around, ridership has been rising steadily."
Fares and Times
River Valley Transit's busses run in Lock Haven Monday through Saturday from approximately 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. There is no bus service on Sundays.
There are EZ fares and standard fares for riding the bus. Prices range depending on how the rider pays. For example, a 31-day "EZ Pass" is $40, which is the most economical way to ride. A standard cash fare is $2. However, both Kremser and Brandt pointed out that there are discounts for seniors (65 and up are free with ID) as well as youth fares (just $1 for those 17 and under).
"The price varies depending on the type of pass you get," Kremser said. "It really depends on what your needs are."
According to Brandt, there truly is a route – and a fare – for everyone.
"It really depends on the type of rider that you are. If you're looking to save money on gas, you can always hop on the bus," Brandt said. "Maye you're a senior citizen or not able to drive a car or don't even have a license, it's really nice to have the bus as an option."
For more information about routes and fares, visit www.rideRVT.com.