RTS plans to enhance efficiency of current bus routes throughout Rapid City

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) - Rapid Transit System is looking to update its bus routes to improve your trips around town.

RTS is promoting adjustments in the bus route transit system to produce efficiencies in the routes and address the growth in the current fixed route system.

“Primarily, the focus right now is just fixing what we can to make our routes efficient and then addressing what the best options are moving forward,” explained Rapid Transit System manager Megan Gould-Stabile.

The decision comes after a recommendation was given to RTS through their transit development plan. The focus of those recommendations was efficiency, including ways to incorporate areas of the city they already serve that have seen an uptick in public traffic or population.

“The changes that we’re making in making it more efficient are that instead of having three buses going down the same road at the same time, we’re going to split them up into going in different directions but covering the same area that we usually do,” explained Gould-Stabile.

For example, RTS is listening to the public and working on a way to incorporate an area near the mall that people are using for social services.

“One of our routes is actually going to drive by that per this recommendation; that way, we are able to provide that service to those people that need that location,” said Gould-Stabile.

RTS will be looking for recommendations regarding all the bus routes around town. They will be looking for comments on some of the route changes on Sept. 23 during the downtown Rapid City Pumpkin Festival in the parking lot of City Hall from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Plus, from Sept. 25 through Sept. 29, from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. RTS will have the route changes displayed at the Milo Barber Transportation Center.

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