Starting Jan. 1, 2018, Asheville Redefines Transit (ART) will offer expanded bus service hours on eight routes and will provide Sunday and Holiday service on all routes.
ART operates 18 bus routes, providing service within Asheville city limits and to downtown Black Mountain. Currently, only half of these routes have Sunday and holiday service, but beginning in January all routes will have Sunday and holiday service. Other service expansions include an additional daily trip on Route 170 (Black Mountain) at 11 a.m., and expanded evening service on eight routes (details are listed below).
City Transportation staff worked to develop the service expansion plan when additional funding was approved by Asheville City Council in the fiscal year 2017-2018 budget, adopted last July. These planning efforts included a detailed review of existing ridership data, multiple public meetings and engagement sessions at the ART Station downtown, and included surveys administered online and on buses. In total, staff received nearly 500 individual survey responses, nearly double the feedback that was received during the last service expansion in January 2017.
“Sunday/Holiday Service and expanded evening service are the most requested service improvements that we receive from the public,” said City Transit Planning Manager Elias Mathes. “This service expansion will increase mobility for our citizens and improve access to jobs and affordable housing. The expansion represents a nearly 10% increase in total service hours; a significant enhancement in service that will have a significant impact on the lives of bus riders.”
Service expansion details
Starting Jan. 1, 2018, ART will provide Sunday and holiday service on all routes from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Route 170 will offer one additional daily trip, at 11 a.m.
| Route | Current last departure | 2018 last departure |
| N | 6:30 p.m. | 7:30 p.m. |
| S2 | 5:15 p.m. | 6:15 p.m. |
| S3 | 7:00 p.m. | 8:30 p.m. |
| S4 | 8:30 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. |
| S5 | 7:30 p.m. | 8:30 p.m. |
| S6 | 7:45 p.m. | 9:15 p.m. |
| W2 | 7:30 p.m. | 8:30 p.m. |
| W5 | 7:30 p.m. | 9:30 p.m. |
The City encourages everyone to try using the transit bus service, including real-time messaging service and Google-integrated routes. For more information on ART bus service such as route times and maps, visit RidetheART.com or stop by the ART Station, 49 Coxe Ave.
For questions or comments, please contact:
Elias Mathes, Transit Planning Manager | Transit Planning Manager
828-232-4522 | EMathes@Ashevillenc.gov
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