MOUNT VERNON — A long-awaited solution to second- and third-shift public transportation problems has finally arrived. Knox Area Transit launched its Night Bus program on Feb. 26.

The Night Bus offers free transportation from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. Rides must start or end in the Mount Vernon or Fredericktown industrial park areas.

KAT received $200,000 from the Ohio Department of Transportation to fund the one-year pilot program.

Riders must call KAT at 740-392-7433 by 7 p.m. to schedule a ride.

The program launched with five riders going to or from Howard, Utica, and Fredericktown.

“It’s already spread out and a countywide service,” KAT Director Bethany Celmar told the commissioners on Tuesday. “I think we will see it grow after word gets out, and we’re up and running.”

She noted the program enabled a rider in Knox Recovery’s Utica center to have a job.

“So it’s already working,” she said.

Celmar said she would like community partners to step up and provide sustainable funding for the future.

“I would think the employers would be interested after you can show how many of their employees use it,” Commissioner Thom Collier said.

Saying “there’s been a lot of positivity” about the night bus, Celmar said she might soon have to hire a second driver.

She is also exploring the idea of providing a cell phone for the driver to handle cancellations and late-night or last-minute calls for service.

Celmar said the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) is interested in the night bus.

“I think if we can show that this is successful, it will help other counties,” she said.

Miscellaneous

In other KAT news, KAT received grant funding to cover 20% of the cost of re-wrapping the buses with the agency’s new brand.

To better reflect its service, KAT will transition to Knox County Transit later this year. It will feature a new color scheme and the county’s logo on the buses.

KAT is still collecting surveys to help with creating a fixed-route schedule. Click here to complete the survey. The survey will be open through March 7.

Celmar needs 500 responses to make results statistically significant. She has 250.

“I would like to get more than that. This is the opportunity the community has to give feedback,” she said.

The Knox County Foundation provided $22,000 as a local match for new cameras on the buses. Federal funding through ODOT was $79,360. The total cost is $140,000.

by Cheryl Splain March 1, 2024