Belmont County Commissioners Learn About Local GoBus Public Transit Line
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ST. CLAIRSVILLE -- The Belmont County Commission this week heard a presentation about federally-funded GoBus transportation offerings in the county.
Kirby Dearth, transit grant coordinator for the Ohio Department of Transportation, said people can travel from St. Clairsville to the Pittsburgh Airport for $10.
There are also other destinations available across the state. Since March, 650 rides have been taken in Belmont County on GoBus.
“GoBus is statewide public transportation,” Dearth said. “So, we use a mix of mostly federal and some state dollars to provide subsidized inner-city bus connectivity between rural communities.”
He noted GoBus has existed for about 15 years. In Ohio, there are currently nine different bus lines in the GoBus network. Locally, Belmont County’s line is called the Yellow Line. It has stops in Columbus, Zanesville, Cambridge, St. Clairsville, crosses over to Wheeling, Steubenville and then onto the Pittsburgh Airport.
St. Clairsville has two GoBus pickup/drop off locations: Belmont College and Ohio University Eastern. The Wheeling stop is at WesBanco Arena.
Dearth said GoBus is used by people to reach hospitals such as Cleveland Clinics’ and airports such as Pittsburgh International Airport. It is also used by people wanting to visit different cities across the state. Additionally, college students hoping to get back home from their campuses and getting back to school from their breaks also utilize the bus system.
And there’s not one day bus transit isn’t available for people to use. The buses run 365 days a year, including holidays.
“One of our biggest days for transportation is Thanksgiving,” he said.
Unlike some bus lines which only provide service during peak travel hours, GoBus vehicles typically run each day until 8 p.m. The buses can carry up to 56 passengers each. As far as rider amenities go, the buses have free wireless internet, electrical outlets at each seat and restrooms on board. Plus, the buses are ADA compliant, with each having two wheelchair lifts.
There is no income requirement to use the bus. Tickets can be purchased on the bus or online at https://ridegobus.com/. For example, a bus trip from Wheeling to the Pittsburgh International Airport is $10 per ticket, taking about an hour and 10 minutes to reach the airport. Comparatively, driving to the airport takes about an hour, but parking can cost at least $48 a day at parking near the terminal, according to the airport.
Dearth noted the bus lines are designed so people can connect to other modes of transportation, including local public buses and trains. He said he is looking to get the word out to local communities about GoBus. Groups interested in having him speak can contact him at kirby.dearth@ohio.dot.gov.