KILGORE, Texas — The Henderson County GoBus Transit received a $10,000 grant from The Edwin A. Blue and Janice Owen Miller Charitable Fund.
The goal is to use the funds to wave bus fees to seniors who live in Henderson County.
According to Baylea Evans, with GoBus Transit, they have not coordinated a date when these free bus fares will begin. However, the only route eligible are rides from Henderson County to Tyler.
“It's usually a $2 cost, so for the period of time that will be using this grant funding, it'll be no cost to those citizens and hopefully just increase our ridership,” Evans said.
You do not have to be a senior to take advantage of the low GoBus rides.
“We don't have any restrictions on who could ride the bus. So if you're an older, disabled, just an able-bodied person, anyone can ride the bus and take you anywhere,” Evans said.
GoBus is not like city buses where you have to wait at a bus stop, and only get to places within city limits. GoBus can travel between counties. Drivers pick you up at your desired location.
“It is curb to curb, so we can take you from your home to a destination within the county or to an urbanized area, so to Tyler, to Longview," Evans explained. "And we can take you for medical appointments, for shopping, just to, you know, go to a restaurant."
Service areas include the following counties:
- Anderson
- Camp
- Cherokee
- Gregg
- Harrison
- Henderson
- Marion
- Panola
- Rains
- Rusk
- Upshur
- Smith
- Wood
- Van Zandt
GoBus provides trips Monday to Friday, from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Each county has a different riding schedule. Click here to see what times are offered in your area.
Rides to Tyler or Longview are offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
The cost for a one-way trip is $2, and for each extra stop you make, it will cost an extra dollar. Veterans and active military members get free GoBus rides.
To schedule a ride you can call 1-800-590-3371, or GoBus Transit to schedule online.