Athens Transit
Encyclopedia
Athens Transit is a public bus system in Athens, Georgia
. The system was started in 1976, and today 18 routes operate throughout the city. The standard fare is $1.50. University of Georgia
students, faculty, and staff and Piedmont College
students ride fare-free with a valid I.D. However, in the case of UGA, part of the student transportation fee goes to Athens Transit as reimbursement for each ride taken. Most bus routes have the buses stop at a given location once per hour during operating hours.
Most routes are designed as loops, with outbound buses on a given route not returning on the same streets. This can prove confusing, but major streets generally have two routes serving them: one outbound, and one inbound. Most routes terminate at the Athens Multi-Modal Transportation Center, which was built in 2006 on a brownfield near the North Oconee River
. The Multi-Modal Center was a winner of the 2007 Innovative Design in Engineering and Architecture award from the American Institute of Steel Construction, and it is designed to accommodate a future "Brain Train" to Atlanta.
Athens Transit and UGA Campus Transit
buses were part of an early trial of biodiesel
fuel during the 1996 Olympics.
* Night route 20: buses do not go to the mall after 9:05 pm, only as far as Epps Bridge Parkway.
Service frequencies: Routes run once every 60 minutes, except routes 12 (every 15–20 minutes), 14 (every 25 minutes), and 28 (every 35 minutes). During afternoon peak hours route 5 runs every 30 minutes. However, some streets are served by multiple similar routes (such as 2 and 3, or 20 and 21) and thus are served twice each hour or more.
Athens, Georgia
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
. The system was started in 1976, and today 18 routes operate throughout the city. The standard fare is $1.50. University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
students, faculty, and staff and Piedmont College
Piedmont College
Piedmont College is a private liberal arts institution founded in 1897 to serve residents of the Appalachian area of northeast Georgia, USA. When the college was first founded, it was established as the J.S. Green Collegiate Institute named after a local banker. In 1899, the name was shortened to...
students ride fare-free with a valid I.D. However, in the case of UGA, part of the student transportation fee goes to Athens Transit as reimbursement for each ride taken. Most bus routes have the buses stop at a given location once per hour during operating hours.
Most routes are designed as loops, with outbound buses on a given route not returning on the same streets. This can prove confusing, but major streets generally have two routes serving them: one outbound, and one inbound. Most routes terminate at the Athens Multi-Modal Transportation Center, which was built in 2006 on a brownfield near the North Oconee River
Oconee River
The Oconee River is a river which has its origin in Hall County, Georgia, and terminates where it joins the Ocmulgee River to form the Altamaha River near Lumber City at the borders of Montgomery County, Wheeler County, and Jeff Davis County. South of Athens, two forks, known as the North Oconee...
. The Multi-Modal Center was a winner of the 2007 Innovative Design in Engineering and Architecture award from the American Institute of Steel Construction, and it is designed to accommodate a future "Brain Train" to Atlanta.
Athens Transit and UGA Campus Transit
UGA Campus Transit
The University of Georgia Campus Transit system operates nine weekday routes, three night routes, one overnight route and one weekend route on the campus and vicinity of the University. Campus Transit has an average daily ridership of 39,765...
buses were part of an early trial of biodiesel
Biodiesel
Biodiesel refers to a vegetable oil- or animal fat-based diesel fuel consisting of long-chain alkyl esters. Biodiesel is typically made by chemically reacting lipids with an alcohol....
fuel during the 1996 Olympics.
Routes and service times
Daytime service is approximately from 6:00 am to 7:00 pm, nighttime service is approximately from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm, hours vary by route.| # | name | Mon-Fri day | Mon-Fri night | Saturday day | Saturday night |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Ave. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2 | East Athens | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 3 | East Athens-Northside | Yes | No (use route 2) | No (use route 2) | No (use route 2) |
| 5 | Beechwood/Baxter St. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 6 | Broad St.-Atlanta Hwy. | Yes | Yes | Yes | No (use route 20) |
| 7 | Prince Ave. | Yes | No (use route 5) | No (use route 5) | No (use route 5) |
| 8 | Barber St./Chase St. | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| 9 | Macon Hwy./Five Points | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| 12 | Riverbend Pkwy. | Yes | No (use UGA East-West) | No (use UGA Weekender) | No (use UGA Weekender) |
| 14 | East Campus Rd./Milledge Ave. | Yes | No (use UGA Family Housing) | No (use UGA Weekender) | No (use UGA Weekender) |
| 20 | Georgia Square Mall | Yes | Yes* | Yes | Yes* |
| 21 | West Athens/Ultimate Dr. | Yes | No (use route 20) | No (use route 20) | No (use route 20) |
| 22 | East Athens/Highland Park Dr. | Yes | No (use route 25) | No (use route 25) | No (use route 25) |
| 24 | Athens Tech | Yes | No (use route 1) | No | No |
| 25 | Lexington Rd./Gaines School Rd. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 26 | College Station Rd./Barnett Shoals Rd. | Yes | No (use route 25) | No (use route 25) | No (use route 25) |
| 27 | Barnett Shoals Rd./Cedar Shoals Dr. | Yes | No (use route 25) | No (use route 25) | No (use route 25) |
| 28 | College Station - Campus Express | Yes | No | No | No |
Service frequencies: Routes run once every 60 minutes, except routes 12 (every 15–20 minutes), 14 (every 25 minutes), and 28 (every 35 minutes). During afternoon peak hours route 5 runs every 30 minutes. However, some streets are served by multiple similar routes (such as 2 and 3, or 20 and 21) and thus are served twice each hour or more.