ALERT: Richland Avenue Route Redirected due to University Terrace Closure – Summit Loop unaffected.

Effective 5/13/13 until further notice, the Richland Avenue Route will be redirected to avoid the closed northbound lane of University Terrace between Clippinger and Gordy Halls. The road is closed due to a sinkhole opened by the collapse of an Ohio University utility tunnel. University crews are working to repair the damage; the project may close the northbound lane for several weeks or more.

A small portion of the outbound route by Clippinger Laboratories and a larger portion of the inbound route will be affected. Inaccessible destinations along the regular route will include Gordy Hall, Scott Quad, Alden Library, Baker University Center, and South Court Street. The redirected route will follow Stewart and Palmer Streets to Stimson Avenue, returning uptown via E State Street and Congress Street. Please download the map at athenstransit.org to see the changes to the route.

The Summit Loop will resume its normal route southbound on University Terrace this afternoon, and will remain unaffected until further notice. Patrons should be on the alert for any emergency changes; this morning’s route was redirected until the street’s structural condition could be established.

Richland Avenue Route Redirected

Richland Avenue Route Redirected

Presentation/Plans to Accompany Athens Public Transit Proposed Changes

Originally slated to be posted nearly three weeks ago, the official presentation/plans for the proposed Athens Public Transit system changes is finally available.  We would like to thank the public for their interest, and we sincerely apologize for being behind schedule! Public hearings begin tonight.

The presentation is made using the Prezi zooming slideshow editor, and can be explored manually by dragging the mouse in the viewer window and zooming using pop-up controls at the middle-right of the viewer window.  This allows the user to zoom to high level of detail on any portion of the maps contained in the presentation.  A static pdf file of the plan and a text transcript will be posted shortly.

The presentation is at http://prezi.com/iiqkrn5hkzgw/athens-public-transit-proposed-changes/?kw=view-iiqkrn5hkzgw&rc=ref-21158881. Internet Explorer users may need to paste the link into their browser address bar.

IMPORTANT! Announcement of Public Meetings for Proposed Service Changes to Athens Public Transit

(This announcement first appeared in the Tuesday, February 19th edition of the Athens Messenger.)

Hocking Athens Perry Community Action is conducting a public process to review a set of proposed service changes to Athens Public Transit and solicit community input. Changes under review include a proposal to streamline existing routes, phasing in a set of fixed stops with signs or shelters, and expanding hours and frequency of buses.

A series of three public hearings will be held at accessible times and locations around the system’s service area; all members of the general public are cordially invited to attend. The first hearing is scheduled for Thursday, March 21, 2013 at 7pm in the third-floor Council Chambers at City Hall, 8 E. Washington St in Athens, and will be televised on The Government Channel. Meetings are also scheduled at the Athens Public Library Conference Room, 30 Home Street in Athens, at 1pm, Saturday March 23; and at the Plains Public Library, 14 S. Plains Rd in The Plains, at 1pm on Monday, March 25.

Copies of the proposals will be available at the HAPCAP Transportation Office, 1015 E. State in Athens beginning March 3, 2013, and will be posted on www.athenstransit.org. Citizens are encouraged to provide feedback during the 30 days immediately before and the 30 days immediately after the first scheduled hearing. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this notice or require special assistance, please contact Michael Lachman at 740-767-4500 ext. 2179, lachman@hapcap.org.

Updated System Schedules and Maps Posted

Effective January 21, 2013, APT has published an updated system schedule and map. A pdf version of the document can now be downloaded on the Full System Map Page. The Summit map and schedule are also now available on the Summit Route Page.

Alert: Summit Route Suspended, 2:30pm 1/30/13

Due to an armed fugitive sighted in the Ohio University campus area, campus has been closed and service will be suspended on the Summit Route from 2:30pm on. The bus will be picking residents up on campus and dropping them off at The Summit until 2:30. After 2:30pm there will not be a Summit bus running until tomorrow.  The Richland Route is currently still operational, and until further notice patrons traveling to the Summit and other Southside destinations can catch the Richland bus until 6:05pm.  During this situation Summit passes will be honored on the Richland Route. Please call 740-592-2727 with any questions.

Due to traffic congestion around campus, stop times on all APT routes may be affected.

Update – Service to Carriage Hill has resumed.

The driver for the 3pm Richland run has reported that Carriage Hill Drive is now clear. Regular service to Carriage Hill has resumed. We apologize for any inconvenience that weather-related service-interruptions have caused, and wish our patrons smooth and safe travels the rest of today.

Service Interruption – Carriage Hill

Weather Alert: As of 12 noon on Friday, 1/25/13, Carriage Hill Apts is not accessible for buses on the Richland Route due to snow conditions. Passengers departing Carriage Hill should gather by Chase Bank on Richland Ave. to catch the inbound bus to campus and uptown. Regular service to the apartments will resume when Carriage Hill Drive is cleared, which is expected by the end of the day. Further updates will be posted on athenstransit.org.

Farmer’s Market Shuttle Jan 26 and Feb 16

We would like to pass on some information about a free express shuttle to the Athens Farmer’s Market that will be offered the next few winter weekends, courtesy of our friends in the Ohio University Environmental Studies Department and Office of Sustainability. If you love great, fresh, local food and would like a ride from the campus area, contact organizer Penny Morgan for information about seat reservations! Flyer for the shuttle is below.

Farmer's Market Shuttle Poster

Permanent Minor Route Change, E State Street Route

Effective Monday, November 12, the State Street Route will no longer pass around the back and side of Walmart; instead the bus will go back to E State from Kroger and turn in at the Walmart lot by Burger King. Pickups and drop-offs will now be made at the Walmart Grocery entrance, where a bus stop sign is posted.

These changes to the route are being made due to the traffic congestion and wear and tear from speed bumps that we are experiencing on the Walmart service road; the switch to the Grocery entrance improves route time and safety, as drivers are currently under a great deal of stress navigating through heavy pedestrian traffic at the other entrance. If you have questions or concerns about this route change, please contact us.

Halloween Service Extension

APT will be extending service into the late hours this Friday and Saturday to accommodate demand connected with the annual Athens Halloween event. Check the advertisement below for details.

Athens-Transit-Halloween-Ad