Bus Line to Mauldin One Stop Closer to Reality

On Monday night at their monthly meeting, the Mauldin City Council unanimously approved a proposed test route that would bring bus service to Mauldin. The proposed route would also serve Simpsonville, whose city council had already given its approval.

The Greenville Transit Authority (a/k/a Greenlink) made their initial presentation to the council in June and since then have met with city officials to finalize plans.

The route would come at no cost to Mauldin and with little risk. According to Gregory Baney, transit planner for Greenlink, approximately half of the money for the necessary $355,000 would come from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds. An additional $150,000 would come from the state and the remaining $28,000 would come from fares. In order to pay for the fares, the routes would have to average 58 riders per day. Of the existing routes, the one with the fewest riders averages 159 fares per day.

The route (see attached pdf) is temporary and in its final form it will be based on public input.

“Significant travel needs exist in the area for education and employment purposes,” said Baney. With that in mind, the future route would connect to the ICAR campus and to the Haywood Mall.

By the final year of the five-year plan, Baney said Greenlink expects the route to be fully sustainable. “Even though it is technically considered temporary, Greenlink considers the route vested,” he said.

Public hearings are expected to begin shortly. Baney said Greenlink hopes to have the routes operational by October of 2012.