Low-cost bus veers eastward

The local GoBus transportation service expanded its destinations eastward yesterday (Feb. 1) to include Marietta, Parkersburg, W.Va., and Coolville in Athens County.

GoBus currently offers transportation between Athens, Columbus and Cincinnati with nine other stop locations along U.S. Rt. 33 and Ohio Rt. 32/U.S. Rt. 50 for $10 one-way.

Passengers are able to travel to the new locations – Coolville, Marietta and Parkersburg – for $5 one-way, plus tax and fees.

In a press release, Hocking Athens Perry Community Action said that by expanding its service, GoBus will enable southeast Ohioans greater access to urban centers and in turn the rest of the state and nation by providing a wide range of meaningful connections with Lakefront Lines, Greyhound, Port Columbus Airport, and other national and local transportation services.

"With the new service, residents will also be able to access national transportation services traveling I-77 to locations such as Cleveland, Charleston, W.Va., and Columbia, S.C.," the release stated.

GoBus has been in operation for a little over a year. The release said that the service has become very popular among community member and area college students.

"In 2011, more than 30,000 passengers used this safe, convenien and affordable service," the release said.

According to the release, every GoBus coach is equipped with air conditioning, an on-board restroom, reclining leather seats with headrests, footrests, Wi-Fi, tinted windows and outlets at every seat "to ensure a luxurious and comfortable ride."

The GoBus project is funded with stimulus money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, funneled through the Federal Transit Administration, Conley has stated previously. The program puts $300,000-plus annually into the local economy through services such as marketing, printing, design work, stop-location service fees and other things, all using local companies, she added. ODOT contracted with Lakefront Lines in 2010 to operate the buses for $1.4 million, with an in-kind match from Greyhound Lines for $1.4 million, which was slated to fund the operation for four years.

Carolyn Conley, GoBus manager at HAPCAP, has said that Lakefront used to operate its own service from Athens to Columbus, and in 2010 they had 3,022 riders. Although that service was once per day and just to Columbus, that figure suggests how successful GoBus has been, she said, considering it has had over 30,000 passengers.

For more information or to purchase tickets visit the GoBus website at www.RideGoBus.com or call 888-95-GoBus. Each one-way ticket is $10 or less, not including tax and fees.