Bus transportation could be coming to Statesboro this fall

Published: Jun. 24, 2022 at 3:25 PM EDT

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - You could be able to catch a bus across town in Statesboro starting this fall.

Watch the traffic in Statesboro for a little bit, and you might think everybody in town owns two or three or more automobiles. But city leaders say more people than you realize don’t have their own transportation.

The new bus system could help them better get there they need to go.

You’ll soon see small 8-seat buses around town, running East-West and North-South routes.

City of Statesboro is teaming with the Coastal Regional Commission to get four buses. They’ll make stops around town at places like the hospital and doctor’s complex, the mall, grocery stores and more.

“They typically start small, with these cut-away shuttle buses. They start with that, and as the system develops and more ridership occurs, then you can expand,” Public Works Director John Washington said.

The goal is to give people an affordable way to get around town, maybe for a job or elsewhere.

The buses will come through federal grant money coming through the regional commission.

Passengers will pay a dollar or so per ride.

“We are getting federal grant money to help operate. There’s a split of 80/20 or something along those lines.”

Washington says they’ll establish bus stops around town and riders will be able to pay the fare in cash or use a phone app to pay it online.

They hope to have the buses rolling through town in October.

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