GoBus coming to area

SANDUSKY — A statewide transportation system intends to begin serving the local area next month. GoBus, a federally funded intercity bus service overseen by the Hocking Athens Perry Community Action's Transportation Division, connects Ohio's rural residents with urban centers and beyond. A public service overseen by the Ohio Department of Transportation, it does work with private partners on this initiative. It "achieves this goal by coordinating with Greyhound Lines, Barons Bus Lines, John Glenn Columbus International Airport and other national and local transportation services," according to an organizational statement. "To provide the best public transportation experience in Ohio, GoBus provides passengers with first-class amenities and (handicap) accessibility on board the deluxe, 50-passenger motor coaches while keeping fares affordable by using a mileage-based fare structure. We strive to provide safe, reliable and affordable transportation to all." GoBus today serves Ohio's three largest metropolitan areas — Cleveland, Cincinnati and Columbus — with out-of-state routes connecting riders to Buffalo, Chicago and West Virginia. Between these larger cities, GoBus stops in many smaller cities. A new route linking Toledo to Ashtabula, which includes Sandusky and Norwalk, is in the works and could debut by as soon as February. Norwalk Mayor Dave Light said the service is expected to serve non-drivers and students, and that the city's stop will be located outside the former fire station next to City Hall on Whittlesey Avenue with signage planned. Parking will be available in the adjacent municipal lot. Riders are expected to arrive on time, as buses will operate on a fixed schedule once service is up and running. In Sandusky, passengers can board and depart a GoBus from 1200 N. Depot St. It's where people can also find Sandusky Transit headquarters and the Amtrak train station. James Stacey, Sandusky's transit administrator, broke down what people can expect: • The background: The Ohio Department of Transportation "conducted an intercity bus needs assessment study. This report documents the existing services and how they have changed in the wake of the travel impacts of the COVID pandemic, inventories the bus stop facilities, reviews the performance of the existing services, examines the demand for potential new or expansion services and provides estimates of priority capital needs. The results of that study showed the need to create an intercity bus system." • The system: "Go Bus is a type of intercity bus system primarily aimed at linking rural or smaller communities to larger cities. The Federal Transit Administration defines intercity bus service as 'regularly scheduled bus service for the general public operating with limited stops over fixed routes connecting two or more urban areas not in close proximity, which has the capacity for transporting baggage carried by passengers and which makes meaningful connections with scheduled intercity bus service to more distant points if such service is available. To combat the need for intercity travel, (the state transportation department) created Go Bus." • The transporters: "GoBus is part of Ohio's Intercity Bus Network. Ohio's Intercity Bus Network includes routes operated by Greyhound Lines, Flixbus, Barons Bus and GoBus services funded by (the state transportation department) utilizing" federal funding. • The locations: "GoBus' five routes connect 33 rural cities with five urbanized areas. The expansion schedule has not been released but will coincide with a public transportation and Greyhound schedules. As part of the expansion, a new Toledo-to-Ashtabula route will be created that includes Sandusky." • The local importance: "Go Bus increases the accessibility to the city of Sandusky. Bringing GoBus to Sandusky is important because it would give students and families a reliable, affordable way to travel to nearby cities for college, jobs, medical appointments and activities. Sandusky sits in a transportation gap between Toledo and Cleveland. A GoBus stop would make it easier for people to get to school or work, help seasonal workers reach local attractions, like Cedar Point, and connect our community to more opportunities across Ohio." People can visit ridegobus.com for more information. Editor's note: Terry Burton contributed reporting.