ATA Bus Executive Director Anne Smith says it’s now not important to personal a car to journey around Manhattan successfully.
And after listening to rider remarks, ATA Bus — additionally referred to as the Flints Hills Area Transportation Agency — has improved and altered routes, main to a 154% boom in ridership inside the ultimate year.
The idea, Smith stated, is to cater to citizens, specifically individuals who don’t personal motors, through creating stops at popular buying and clinical regions. According to ATA records, 1 in 10 residents renting in Manhattan does not very own a vehicle.
“We truly, actually need to try to meet the wishes that our clients have,” Smith said. “It’s a true, financial lifeline for them.”
Last year, the department added thirteen transfer places in preference to just one inside the town.
Additionally, the branch delivered, removed and reconfigured routes, powerful July 29, after evaluating stop frequency records.
Route changes
Here are simply some of the current modifications:
• The red path changed to Route 1, extending west to Westloop and Candlewood.
• The inexperienced direction is now Route four, including a prevent at the City Park.
• The blue route cut up into, creating routes 2 and 5. Route 2 adds stops along Scenic Drive and a stop at Village Plaza, while Route five has extra stops alongside College Avenue.
• The K-18 Connector, or yellow course, is now Route three with additional stops on the excessive school-going northbound and Redbud Estates.
• The orange direction cut up into, making routes that upload a brand new forestall at Kansas State University, among different stops.
“We’ve come thus far, and I’m really excited to see where matters are headed,” Smith said.
The branch has visible a pointy increase in riders in view that May 2018; as of records from May 2019, ridership has improved by way of extra than 1 half across Manhattan over the past 12 months.
Summer and fall
Over the summer with multiplied production, Smith advises riders to be patient as a few construction warm spots, consisting of in northern Manhattan and around Kimball, causes moderate delays.
To initiate the adjustments, ATA Bus hosts classroom schooling for bus drivers and dispatchers to research the brand new adjustments.
In addition to course differences, the buses going for walks through Kansas State University are gaining a facelift. Each bus is adorned with a one of a kind Willie the Wildcat layout, Smith said.
“We’re without a doubt excited about those,” she stated. “So we’ve kind of labored with K-State for pretty a while, and ‘so o.K., let’s suppose outdoor the field, and how will we make things less difficult for college students on campus to distinguish the buses.’ … They’re turning out very well.”
Smith said ATA Bus is creating a schedule right now for K-State football recreation days.
A schedule could be posted on the branch’s internet site once it’s miles entire.
Moving forward, the branch hopes to feature bus shelters with the aid of the give up of the yr, in addition, to maintain to enlarge the routes, Smith stated.
Additional information about bus path adjustments can be discovered at the ATA Bus homepage at the Riley County internet site. The address is rileycountyks.Gov/1683/Bus-Routes.
