VALPARAISO | The V-Line, the city's new transit system, makes its ceremonial debut today with passenger service beginning Monday morning.
The system will consist of three intracity routes and one shuttle route to the South Shore commuter rail line's Dune Park station on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. A ribbon-cutting ceremony this morning at City Hall will be followed by a spin around the city in the 16-passenger buses.
The city's Board of Public Works and Safety approved the placement of 104 bus stop signs Thursday along with a lease agreement with the Lafayette city bus system for the use of two buses to be used on the Brown Route serving Valparaiso University. The city will pay $750 a month until the two new buses arrive in November or December.
The buses, which will be wrapped to resemble a trolley, will have two wheelchair spaces each and also will have bike racks mounted on the front. Fares will be $1 per ride with monthly passes allowing unlimited rides available for $30. Children ride for free, and there's no charge for transfers. Medicare card holders, senior citizens older than 65 and those with disabilities with valid ID ride for 50 cents.
The buses will follow the city's main corridors to take passengers to the downtown business district, Porter Valparaiso Hospital Campus, Valparaiso Marketplace, Strongbow Center, the medical facilities on Roosevelt Road and other locations, including schools. Porter's Vale Shopping Center will be added soon.
Assistant City Planner Tyler Kent said the buses on the yellow route -- which goes on Campbell, Lincolnway, LaPorte, Silhavy, Vale Park Road, Roosevelt, Glendale Boulevard, Sturdy Road and Evans back to Silhavy -- will run about every hour. The Green Route -- which runs up the center of the city, connecting at each end with the Yellow Route -- also takes about an hour. Both will run from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.
The Brown Route will run about every half-hour on LaPorte and Indiana Street between from Campbell and Silhavy to serve the university from 2 to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 2 p.m. to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Students get to ride free with ID.
The Orange Route is the shuttle to the Dune Park station, and it will run from 2:20 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Fridays, from 8:47 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Saturdays, and from 8:47 a.m. to 12:35 a.m. on Sundays to match up with the South Shore schedule.
More information about the service is available at www.valpo.us/v-line.
