By Cheryl Splain, KnoxPages.com Reporter
MOUNT VERNON — A proposal to offer transit service routes to three Knox County villages is in its infancy stage, but Martin McAvoy, director of Knox Area Transit, hopes to have something in place next year.
“Our hope is to do something in 2018,” he said. “We’re trying to determine what kind of interest is in the community and the business community, because it does involve the business community. We’re talking with employers and employees to gauge interest.”
The idea is to provide timed route service from Centerburg, Danville and Fredericktown to The Station Break transfer station in Mount Vernon. Riders could then transfer to the Mount Vernon-Gambier shuttle, another shuttle in the Mount Vernon system or an industrial park shuttle which would be created. The village and industrial park shuttles would run Monday through Friday.
The Ohio Department of Transportation offers a six-month pilot demonstration for new services, but the program must be locally funded. After four months, KAT can supply documentation of service and a funding request to ODOT. McAvoy estimates the six-month service cost will be $75,559.12.
“We’re still trying to work on funding, how we can generate and raise that,” he said.
The proposed fare for the new shuttles is $1. Riders from the villages can travel from the village to their destination in Mount Vernon, Gambier or the industrial park for $2 one way and $4 round trip. Following are the proposed stops for each route:
*Centerburg Express Route: west side of Centerburg, east side of Centerburg, west side of Mount Vernon and The Station Break transfer station.
*Danville Express Route: central location in Danville, Howard and The Station Break transfer station.
*Fredericktown Express Route: north side of Fredericktown, central location, south side of Fredericktown, north side of Mount Vernon and The Station Break transfer station.
*Industrial Park Route: The Station Break transfer station, Commerce Drive in the industrial park, Commerce Drive and Blackjack Road, Sanoh and along Granville Road.
The Centerburg, Danville and Fredericktown routes would begin at 6 a.m.; riders reach The Station Break at 6:30 a.m. A shuttle arrives at the first stop in the village every hour; the last shuttle of the day reaches The Station Break at 4:30 p.m.
The industrial park route leaves The Station Break at 6:30 a.m. and reaches Sanoh, the end-of-line stop, at 6:45 a.m. Subsequent shuttles leave The Station Break at 7, 7:30 and 8 a.m. Afternoon shuttles leave The Station Break beginning at 2:30, arriving at Sanoh at 2:45. Subsequent shuttles leave Sanoh at 3:15 and 3:45; the last shuttle of the day reaches The Station Break at 4 p.m.
Service for an industrial park employee working first shift might look like this:
*6 a.m., catch village shuttle ($1)
*6:30 a.m., arrive The Station Break, transfer to industrial park shuttle ($1)
*6:45 a.m., arrive at work
*7 a.m., start work
*3 p.m., off work
*3:15 p.m., catch industrial park shuttle ($1)
*3:30 p.m., arrive The Station Break, transfer to village shuttle ($1)
*4 p.m., arrive back in the village