POINT PLEASANT, W.Va. — A collaborative effort by several agencies will provide transit bus service throughout Mason County.
Local and state leaders gathered at the Point Pleasant riverfront on Monday to cut the ribbon on the new transit service which will connect the entire county, plus offer access to the Merritts Creek Shopping Center in Cabell County.
“Route 2 and 62 North will connect our county in a way it’s never been before because now you can get on the bus and ride from one end of the county to another for just a buck,” Mason County Commission President Rick Handley told MetroNews Monday.
The idea of a bus service has been talked about at length, but became an issue on the front burner when operators of the local homeless shelter in Point Pleasant indicated some of their residents would like to get jobs, but had no way of getting to and from work. According to Handley, there are others who are elderly and need transportation as well to and from the store or their doctor’s appointments.
The county, as part of the transit service, has also created a “dial-a-ride”.
“That’s for people who want to specifically go to a doctor’s appointment, but they have to call ahead. We’ll have two of those buses.” Handley said.
The smaller buses were donated by the state of West Virginia to the program.
The buses will travel three days a week, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from New Haven to Glenwood with four trips each day–two of which will go to Merritts Creek and those interested can transfer to a bus into downtown Huntington or shop for the day and return to Mason County.
“We hope there’s a sufficient need to run it five days a week, but for right now we’re trying three days a week,” Handley said.
The ride fare is $1.
The service is a collaboration of the Mason County Commission, City of Point Pleasant, West Virginia Division of Public Transportation and Lincoln County based Tri-River Transit company.