SOUTH BEND — A proposed connector route would tie together downtown Elkhart and Mishawaka for Interurban Trolley and Transpo riders.
The Michiana Area Council of Governments administers both the Interurban Trolley, which serves Elkhart and Goshen, and the South Bend Public Transportation Corp., which serves Mishawaka and South Bend.
MACOG announced a public comment period to discuss proposed service changes to the existing Interurban Trolley Yellow Line and Transpo’s Route 9 that it said would improve connectivity through the region.
The proposed “Yellow Line Connector” would combine Transpo’s Route 9 east of the Mishawaka Transfer Center with the current Interurban Trolley Yellow Line route. The new route would operate between the Interurban Trolley’s Transfer Center in downtown Elkhart and Transpo’s Mishawaka Transfer Center in downtown Mishawaka.
Besides improving connectivity, MACOG Executive Director James Turnwald said the proposed connector would cut down on wait times.
“The new Yellow Line will bring better connections between Elkhart and Mishawaka,” he said in the announcement this week. “Today, bus service between downtown Elkhart and downtown South Bend runs every 60 minutes. This will increase regional connectivity, with buses now coming every 30 minutes on weekdays. The increased frequency of the yellow line will also reduce the transfer time for certain riders. Certain trips between the Transpo and Interurban Trolley systems currently require wait times while transferring of up to 75 minutes; the new Yellow Line Connector will reduce this wait time to 20 minutes on most trips.”
The proposed Yellow Line Connector will charge the same $1 fare per one-way trip as existing Transpo and Interurban Trolley routes. Buses on the connector route will accept both Tranpso and Interurban Trolley one-day, 14-Day and 31-Day Passes regardless of whether the trip is operated by a Tranpso bus or an Interurban Trolley.
“We are proud to partner with MACOG and increase transit connectivity between Elkhart and Mishawaka,” said Amy Hill, general manager and CEO of Transpo, in the announcement. “Integrated fares allow riders to use Transpo passes on the new Yellow Line which should increase transit ridership, and opens up many more destinations and employment opportunities for our riders.”
To read the full article written by Jordan Fouts, Elkhart Truth CLICK HERE
