Marion is the new stop on the GoBus statewide service.
GoBus contacted city officials asking to use Marion Area Transit as a stop on its purple route, which spans from Columbus to Toledo.
The program is of no cost to the city or county, as the buses used by GoBus only use the bus station to drop off and pick up passengers. The program went live in Marion in March.
Marion Area Transit Administrator Tara Nicolosi hopes people in Marion can use the service for day trips or to get to the Columbus airport, one of the stops on the purple line.
“I feel like sometimes they feel like they’re stuck in a certain area, and they can get out and explore and maybe go places that they wanted to go in Columbus,” Nicolosi said.
She’s also seen passengers use the bus service to visit Marion. One woman used the GoBus to get to Marion from Columbus, then used Marion Area Transit to get to her final destination.
“If they’re not from here, they can also utilize our transportation to get around town where they need to go,” Nicolosi said.
The bus service runs seven days a week and passes through Marion twice a day, once at 7:35 a.m. and again at 1:05 p.m. Between Columbus and Toledo, the GoBus stops in Upper Sandusky, Findlay, Bowling Green and Marion.
A ticket from Marion to Columbus can cost riders $10, while a trip from Marion to Toledo can cost $15. Tickets can be booked online at https://booking.ridegobus.com/ or by calling 888-954-6287.
This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Marion added to Columbus-Toledo GoBus route
Reporting by Abby Bammerlin, Marion Star / Marion Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Abby Bammerlin, Marion Star | USA TODAY Network
