Asheville Transit Route Changes

Beginning Monday, January 6, 2014, the City of Asheville ART (Asheville Redefines Transit) service will adjust schedules on nine routes. These changes continue to demonstrate the City of Asheville’s commitment to multi-modal transportation, affordability, and sustainability.

Notices detailing the schedule changes can be found at www.ridetheart.com, at the ART Station at 49 Coxe Avenue and on all buses.  New schedules will be available beginning December 16 at the Transit Station.  Starting on January 6, GoogleTransit, the trip planning tool using GoogleMaps, will guide riders using the new updated schedules.

The schedule adjustments encompass small changes aimed at improving on-time performance and reducing wait times related to transfers to and from Route C (Cross Town) and Route N. The changes will improve schedules on the Biltmore Avenue (to Mission Hospital) and Patton Avenue (to New Leicester Highway) routes.  In addition, the Tunnel Road (to South Tunnel Road) corridor will have service three times an hour from 10 am to 6 pm. 

The changes are based on citizen recommendations, surveys and data analysis and have been designed to improve customer satisfaction through route efficiencies.  Future Transit Master Plan recommendations can be seen by reviewing the document on line at: www.ashevilletransit.com.                     

A complete list of route changes can be found below.

• C - Emma - Louisiana - Amboy- Biltmore Vlg.- Fairview Rd.- Swannanoa R. Rd.
  • Arrival times at each bus stop adjusted to improve the connections to downtown Asheville. Improve transfers to/from the W3 & W4 on Patton Ave. at Louisiana Ave.  Improve transfer to/from E1 on Swannanoa River Rd. at Bleachery Blvd.
• N - Montford - Downtown - MLK - Grove Park Inn
  • Improve transfer connections at the Transit Station. From MLK Jr. Dr. to the Transit Station, N will no longer serve Biltmore Ave. north of Hilliard.  N will use Hilliard Ave. west bound to serve the Transit Station.
• N3 - Chamber – Hillcrest
  •  N3 will depart from the Transit Station at :35 and :05 minutes past the hour.  An additional late night trip will be added at 10:35pm and the 7:05pm trip will be cancelled.
• E1 - Tunnel - Swannanoa R. Rd. – VA
  • Arrival times at each bus stop adjusted to improve route on-time performance.
• E2 - Tunnel - Haw Creek - Porters Cove
  • Serve the Haw Creek community on the inbound portion of the route rather than outbound.  E2 will depart at :15 minutes after the hour, improving the service frequency on Tunnel Rd.
• S2 - Biltmore - Kenilworth - Social Security
  • S2 will depart from the Transit Station at :30 minutes past the hour, improving service on Biltmore Ave. to every 30 minute with S1.  For the first trip in the morning at 6:30am, S2 will arrive at the Transit Station at 7:00am.
•  S4 - S. French Broad –Livingston Hts. - AB Tech
  • S4 will depart from the Transit Station :05 minutes past the hour.  This route will now be matched with the S2 route rather than the W3.
• W3 - Patton – Goodwill
  • For the first trip in the morning at 6:00am, W3 will arrive at the Transit Station at 6:30am to make connections.
• W4 - Patton - New Leicester - Land of Sky
  • W4 will depart from the Transit Station at :30 minutes past the hour, improving service on Patton Ave. to every 30 minutes with W3, shortening wait times to C.  For the first trip in the morning, at 6:30 am, W4 will arrive at the Transit Station at 7:00 am to make connections.

For more information about Asheville Transit, contact 253-5691, e-mail iride@ashevillenc.gov or visit www.ridetheART.com. This press release can be found at ashevillenc.gov.