Bloomington, Indiana – On January 2nd, Bloomington Transit is scheduled to introduce a revolutionary new bus route that will extend services beyond of the city boundaries. Route 13 will be introduced as a crucial link connecting downtown Bloomington to several key areas on the city’s west side including Vernal Pike, Curry Pike, and the Ivy Tech campus.
With buses running from 6:40 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday through Friday operations will see 12 trips daily, averaging one trip every hour. This new project seeks to improve accessibility and connectivity, therefore meeting the increasing demand for public transit into the neighboring communities.
Bloomington Transit and Monroe County officials signed an inter-local cooperation agreement aiming at extending city services outside of municipal boundaries, therefore guiding the new path.
“This is a wonderful opportunity to extend County-City collaboration into the world of transit! It will be a fabulous service for residents across Monroe County,” said Julie Thomas, president of the Monroe County Board of Commissioners.
Though not quite on the path, the prospective location of the new Monroe County Jail is also close by, only one mile north of the suggested stop at Will Detmer Park. Commissioners have been debating constantly the requirement of public transportation access to and from the jail site. Although it is yet unknown whether service will ever reach this site, the proximity points to possible future growth.
“Meeting our customer and resident expectations requires us to embrace a new approach to defining our service area and the types of services we offer. This is an exciting first step toward transforming Bloomington Transit into a provider of regional mobility options,” said John Connell, Bloomington Transit General Manager.
Courtesy of Bloomington Transit
Route 13 will run year-round with exceptions on key holidays including New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day, same as most other routes run run by Bloomington Transit.
The normal fare for the service is $1 each ride. Furthermore, Indiana University students can benefit from free trips by producing a valid student ID, therefore enabling simple and affordable transportation for the student population.
With Route 13, Bloomington and the neighboring Monroe County’s residents as well as students will have a major step toward addressing their transportation demands as an increasing urban population calls for. This improvement not only facilitates the everyday travel but also increases community integration and access to necessary services and educational possibilities.
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