CityGo® to Debut New Purple Route and “Wave and Ride” Areas

SALINA, KS – To keep up with customer demand and expand coverage, CityGo transit system will debut a fourth route next month – adding 36 new bus stops throughout Salina, four additional buses, and a new “Wave and Ride” option in select areas.

CityGo operators will launch the new purple route on Monday, April 5, serving passengers with regular and peak hours similar to the existing schedule for the blue, red, and yellow routes. The new purple route includes stops within the community that were previously covered by the yellow route, including more stops in west Salina from Crawford Street to Centennial Road, down Broadway Boulevard and further south in Salina, with stops at K-State Salina and Salina Area Technical School. The color purple was selected because of the K-State Salina bus stop.

The CityGo yellow route changes significantly to accommodate the fourth route. The yellow route will still head south on Ninth Street to Super Dillons, Kohl’s, and WalMart; however, it also goes to parts of east Salina that were not previously covered by CityGo. The updated yellow route features stops at the Saline County Dialysis office, plus a much-requested stop at the Woodland Corporate Center on Iron Avenue, which houses the Social Security Administration and Veterans’ Affairs offices. The yellow route also includes stops at Kansas Wesleyan University, Salina Regional Health Center, and more.

CityGo’s red and blue routes will also change slightly on April 5. The blue route, for instance, will now feature two stops at Oakdale and Kenwood parks – one at the foot bridge into Oakdale Park and another one near Kenwood Cove Aquatic Park. It will also travel north on Marymount Road to Glen Avenue, then Fairdale Road.

Parts of the purple, yellow, and blue routes will feature a “Wave and Ride” option. In marked areas only, passengers may board the bus by simply waving to the bus driver, indicating a clear intent to board. The driver will stop at the nearest safe location – usually the far side of an intersection. Passengers are advised to wave at the driver safely and purposefully from the corner of any intersection. The Wave and Ride areas include: Cherokee Drive, from Crawford to Republic, on the purple route; Santa Fe Avenue, from Claflin to Crawford, on the yellow route; and Marymount Road, from Crawford to Glen Avenue, Glen Avenue, from Marymount Road to Fairdale Road, and Fairdale Road, from Glen Avenue to Crawford, on the blue route. Wave and Ride areas are noted with dashed lines on the revised CityGo map.

Please refer to the new CityGo map to see all of the changes to the red, blue, yellow, and purple routes. Be aware that some bus stop arrival and departure times may have changed. The map and complete bus stop schedule will appear in the Salina Journal on March 28th and April 11th, or look for copies at some area businesses, select city offices, or at OCCK offices at 1710 W. Schilling Road or 340 N. Santa Fe. The new map and schedule are also published online at www.salinacitygo.com.

All CityGo ticket pass prices are unchanged: $1 for a Single Trip Pass, ideal for one-way trips; $2 for a Day Pass, ideal for round-trips or transfers, $5 for a six-trip ticket book, and $30 for an unlimited Monthly Pass. Children 10 and under ride free, but must board the bus with an adult. Personal care attendants can also ride free.

“We’re very excited to finally launch the new fourth route,” said Patrick Wallerius, VP/CFO at OCCK. “We look forward to serving new parts of Salina and new passengers. Requests from businesses, passengers, and community leaders, as well as careful research, were all considered when planning and adjusting the routes. We’re grateful that the community has welcomed CityGo buses to our streets with such great enthusiasm.”

CityGo, which debuted Dec. 1, 2008, provides more than 10,000 rides each month to passengers of all ages and backgrounds.

For more information about CityGo, visit www.salinacitygo.com. Or, contact the OCCK Transportation Center at 785-826-1583.

About CityGo

OCCK Inc., in partnership with the City of Salina and the Kansas Department of Transportation, operates and manages CityGo fixed-route transit service. CityGo spans the city from North to South and East to West with four routes, noted by colors on route maps and bus stops: red, blue, yellow, and purple. Service runs from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, with more than 150 fixed bus stops citywide, plus three areas designated as “Wave and Ride”. Fares for the CityGo buses are $1 for a Single-Trip Pass (recommended for one-way trips), $2 for a Day Pass (recommended for round trips and transfers), $5 for a 6-Trip Ticket Book, and $30 for a Monthly Pass. Children 10 and under ride free. CityGo has been recognized for outstanding service and growth nationally and statewide by the Kansas Department of Transportation. For more information about CityGo, call 785-826-1583 or visit www.salinacitygo.com.

About OCCK

Since 1970, nonprofit organization OCCK Inc. has worked within the community to provide resources and education, and has been recognized in Kansas and throughout the Midwest for providing employment services, assistive technology, case management, and independent-living and residential services to persons with disabilities. Their services are available to people of any age and with varying disabilities, assisting them in their efforts to independently live and work within the community. OCCK Transportation Services provides public transportation to residents throughout North Central Kansas. Services include OCCK’s CityGo, Salina’s fixed-route bus service; Paratransit on-demand service to qualified riders; Med-A-Van non-emergency medical transport; and daily intercity service between Belleville and Salina and between Ellsworth and Salina. For more information about OCCK or OCCK Transportation Services, call 785-827-9383 or visit www.occk.com.