Access Scioto County ridership jumps 82%
More and more Scioto County residents are getting on the bus and that means Access Scioto County needs a bump in their budget to keep up with the demand.
Scioto County Commissioners approved a request from Job and Family Services to increase the funding for non-emergency transportation by $56,489 for this year. The money is needed because there’s been an 82% increase in ridership on the public transportation service since this time last year. Some of the increase in ridership is due to adding Saturday services.
ASC has added four drivers and one dispatcher to help keep up with the demand. Scioto County Commissioner Bryan Davis emphasized that the money for the budget increase did not come from the county’s general fund but from the budget of Job and Family Services. ASC is funded by federal TANF dollars and the Department of Transportation grants.
Access Scioto County offers transportation for everyone, not just the elderly or disabled. It’s available to anyone in Scioto County or South Shore, Kentucky. Hours are Monday through Friday from 6 am to 6 pm and Saturdays from 8 am to 4 pm. Saturday service is available for Portsmouth, New Boston, Wheelersburg, Rosemount, and West Portsmouth only.
Service is curb-to-curb unless you’re disabled. Then door-to-door service is available upon request. You need to register in advance to use the service. Trips can be scheduled up to two weeks in advance but 24 hours notice is required to schedule. Each one-way trip costs $1 plus an additional .50 for longer trips. Senior citizens, children, the disabled, and veterans get a 50% discount.
To register and to schedule, trips call (740) 353-5626, ext. 203 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday – Thursday.
