While other transit authorities are cutting service due to financial woes, the Mid-Mon Valley Transit Authority is extending service as a means to increase revenues.
The authority board Thursday night voted to extend service on Saturdays and late-night weekdays to the Rostraver Township shopping district along Route 201.
The new Saturday service includes 16 loops beginning at 6:50 a.m. at Fifth Street and Fallowfield Avenue in Charleroi and making stops in Lower Speers, two in Belle Vernon, and one in North Belle Vernon as well as at Rostraver Square, Tri-County Plaza and Kmart Plaza in Rostraver Township, two stops in Donora, and one each in Monessen and North Charleroi.
Two buses will make that loop eight times during the day on weekends.
The hour-long runs will continue until the last stop at 4 p.m. in Charleroi.
This service, called the Green Line, has been operating on weekdays, but now will be extended into the evening hours.
Buses will operate through the last stop at 10:30 p.m. in Charleroi. Previously, the last bus arrived at Charleroi at 6:30 p.m.
The increased service comes after an extended study of the route, executive Director Valerie Kissell said.
Authority staff surveyed riders and did random interviewers with shoppers at Wal Mart.
In addition, the Washington County Transit Study identified the need to expand the service connecting the Valley communities to the shopping plaza.
Sponsored by the Mid-Mon Valley Transit Authority, the Washington County Transit Authority (Washington Rides) and the City of Washington/GG&C Bus Company, the study was funded by the state Department of Transportation, Washington County Planning Commission and Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission.
"We're going to monitor it," Kissell said. "If it is not as productive as we believe it will be, we will reevaluate it."
The extended runs will benefit shoppers as well as employees at the various retailers in the shopping district, Kissell said.
88 Transit, the authority's carrier, already has hired two additional drivers for the new runs.
Extending the bus run to the Route 201 business district was the most obvious choice, but it might not be the last, Kissell said.
Authority staff will ultimately review all runs for possible expansion as well as to evaluate current productivity.
-We want to make sure the changes will have a positive effect on the communities we serve," Kissell said. "So we're being very systematic in our approach."
The new service will begin Oct. 15.
-Quite frankly, we wanted to capitalize on the (Christmas holiday) shopping season," Kissell said.
