The City of Asheville is actively considering making some big changes to our bus system. These changes would improve the timing of connections between buses, increase service to South Asheville which riders have been pushing for for years, and in exchange, some of the least used routes would be cut. We at MountainTrue see both positives and negatives in these proposed changes and while we continue to push for more funds to avoid any cuts, the reality of our continued sprawling land development patterns in addition to currently available funds mean that it is impossible to improve the effectiveness of our system without trade offs.
We at MountainTrue continue to ask City Council to prioritize ridership and bus frequency to increase service where there are already more people, jobs, and opportunities. The new proposed network map represents modest improvements that would move our city in the right direction: it would increase bus service along the corridors that have the most homes combined with the most jobs. We encourage you to join us in telling council this draft network is a step in the right direction and ask them to adopt the new plan.
To learn more about the draft network and read a helpful summary of the proposed changes visit The Asheville Rides Transit (ART) Draft Network Explained page.
