Sandusky Transit expanding services in 2019

SANDUSKY — Driven to make changes, after many riders requested them, Sandusky Transit workers listened and agreed.Sunday serviceStarting in 2019, people can board buses along the Blue Line on Sundays. Presently, none of the four fixed routes — formerly known as SPARC, they're now called the Purple, Green, Red and Blue lines — offer Sunday service.After leaving downtown Sandusky, the hourlong Blue Line route primarily escorts passengers down Milan Road (U.S. 250), stopping at places such as Sandusky Mall, Wal-Mart and Kalahari Resorts.The Blue Line represents Sandusky Transit's most popular route, averaging about 3,700 trips per month in 2018.Officials can expand public transportation services because they're now, more than ever, contracting with numerous local businesses, generating additional income for Sandusky Transit. Those businesses then provide passes for their clientele, such as Kalahari employees, so they can get to work. "We have found that a lot of our residents need to have access out to jobs out on U.S. 250," transit administrator Nicole DeFreitas said. "This is going to help with them being able to access employment. Many people also have Sundays off. They need to get out for shopping and to grocery stores. This is going to be a huge benefit to our residents to access all the amenities from downtown Sandusky."Starting in 2019, people can board Sandusky Transit's Blue Line, which primarily escorts riders from downtown Sandusky to Milan Road (U.S. 250), on Sundays.Cedar Point partnershipSandusky Transit and Cedar Point teamed up to eliminate a redundant service each entity offers today.Starting in 2019, Sandusky Transit will transport Cedar Point employees everywhere outside the amusement park's borders."Cedar Point will be taking them into the park from the dorms, but we'll be taking them everywhere else," DeFreitas said. "Right now, Cedar Point has their own bus routes that go out to the mall and elsewhere. There was a lot of duplication of service."The amusement park's employees can ride transit and access all four routes, just like any other passenger can. Sandusky Transit also plans on adding a separate express line, linking up with the color-coded lines while providing additional stops to Cedar Point and Sports Force Parks at Cedar Point Sports Center."We want to make it easier for the workers to get to work and get around the city," DeFreitas said.Nicole DeFreitas, the Sandusky Transit administrator, believes the many changes implemented by Sandusky Transit in 2019 aims to make this public service more efficient and reliable for passengers. This is going to be a huge benefit to our residents to access all the amenities from downtown Sandusky," she said.Cedar Point executives agreed to pay $150,000 for the service in 2019."Sandusky continues to grow and has so much to offer, so this is a great benefit for our associates," said Jason McClure, Cedar Point's general manager and vice president. "This partnership makes it easier for our team to enjoy local restaurants, shopping and attractions while they're with us for the summer. It also provides an opportunity for associates to utilize the program for transportation from home to work at Cedar Point."Starting in 2019, Sandusky Transit will offer Sunday service on its Blue Line and transport Cedar Point employees everywhere outside the amusement park's borders.Reach reporter Andy Ouriel at ouriel@sanduskyregister.com and follow him on Twitter @AndyOuriel.