July 31, 2024

PRESS RELEASE:  ColumBUS to reduce Saturday service hours; Route study to conclude in October

ColumBUS announces the reduction of Saturday transit service hours. Currently, Routes 1-5 operate starting at 6:00 a.m. and ending at 6:00 p.m. Effective Saturday, August 31, 2024, the routes will run starting at 8:00 a.m. and ending at 5:00 p.m. This change is for Saturdays only; weekday service will not be impacted.

ColumBUS offers paratransit to eligible individuals with disabilities during fixed route hours of operation in compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. The change to Saturday hours also applies to Call-a-Bus paratransit. Effective August 31, Call-a-Bus hours of operation on Saturdays will be 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

“While it’s never an easy decision to reduce service, this change is necessitated by low ridership during the early morning and evening hours on Saturdays. It is not cost-efficient to operate routes during the affected hours,” said Bryan Burton, Interim Director of Transportation.

ColumBUS is currently conducting a route study in conjunction with a transit planning consultant, RLS & Associates, Inc. The planning process, which focuses on restructuring local services for improved access and efficiency, will conclude in October. The study’s recommendations will be implemented in 2025. There will be public meetings on the recommendations in mid-September; the dates, times and locations of these input opportunities will be advertised on the ColumBUS website: https://www.columbus.in.gov/columbus-transit/

Comments and questions about the changes to Saturday hours of operation can be submitted as follows:

• Online at https://www.columbus.in.gov/columbus-transit/contact-us/
• Via email to bknotts@columbus.in.gov
• Via phone: 812-376-2506, Ext. 707
• Via mail to City of Columbus, Transit Department, 123 Washington Street, Columbus, IN 47201