Bay Transit, the public transportation division of Bay Aging, has partnered with Gloucester County to provide expanded services on its popular ‘Courthouse Circulator’ and ‘hiveXpress’ flexible fixed-route buses in Gloucester. These buses now operate Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. with stops throughout Gloucester Court House and Gloucester Point areas.
In addition to the regularly commissioned demand-responsive buses, an additional bus has been placed into service in Gloucester County, featuring new advertising promoting Bay Transit’s commitment to customer service and safety. The vibrant ‘Good to go!’ messaging found on the outside of the bus touts many of the internal safety protocols, including fee-free rides on all Bay Transit buses to keep passengers and drivers from having to exchange money.
“We are thankful to Gloucester County for helping to expand bus service throughout the county during the COVID-19 crisis,” said Bay Transit director Ken Pollock. “With Plexiglas shields surrounding the driver’s seat on all buses, the installation of Plexiglas partitions between passenger seats, limiting the number of riders for social distancing, daily cleaning and disinfecting of all buses, requiring drivers and riders to wear face masks and even offering free hand sanitizer and face masks to any rider who needs them, we are employing best practices to ensure everyone’s safety.”
Last week, Gloucester County Administrator Brent Fedors and supervisor Mike Hedrick boarded a Bay Transit bus to see some of these enhancements firsthand.
“Our board of supervisors has put the county’s CARES Act money where its mouth is,” Fedors said. “Bay Transit has continued to provide essential transportation services to Gloucester County residents throughout the pandemic and have gone the extra mile to help keep riders safe. Residents in need of public transportation can be more comfortable traveling on Bay Transit, and we hope they will take advantage of the expanded service hours and fee-free rides.”
Hedrick was equally impressed. “Even if a rider doesn’t have a mask, Bay Transit buses have masks and hand sanitizer easily accessible before you ever board the bus,” he said. “The county understands that many residents need additional help with transportation during the COVID-19 crisis. We’ve committed CARES Act funds to the effort, making transportation more readily available to get residents to work, doctors’ appointments, the grocery store or pharmacy, or wherever they need to go in our community.”
For more information about Bay Transit, the Courthouse Circulator and the hiveXpress, visit www.baytransit.org or call the Ride Line at 877-869-6046.