The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), in partnership with the Hocking-Athens-Perry Community Action Program (HAPCAP), recently announced that Ohio’s GoBus intercity transit network has expanded.
GoBus is Ohio’s Rural Intercity Bus Program. It was created to link rural and underserved areas to metropolitan centers. The federal Intercity Bus Program funds the program that is administered by ODOT in collaboration with HAPCAP.
Since GoBus launched in 2010, the service has grown from 10,000 annual riders to more than 129,000 and connects 36 cities. The service puts 64 percent of the state’s population within 10 miles of a stop and 93 percent within 25 miles of any intercity bus stop.
“Transportation should never be a barrier to opportunity,” Gov. Mike DeWine said. “This expansion provides those in rural and underserved communities reliable and affordable transportation options to access essential services.”
Expansion will fund four new intercity bus routes and double the service footprint. The extended routes will be to Western and Northern Ohio.
Once service is expanded, GoBus will serve 47 counties via nine routes, 27 local transit connections and 32 university connections. The service is estimated to have an annual ridership of 153,000.
GoBus operates 56-passenger motor coaches with a seat belt at every seat.