On July 1st, the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) and the Southern Georgia Regional Commission announced the formation of their Let’s Ride marketing and branding initiative to the rural transit agency and the 14 counties it serves in Southern Georgia starting July 1.
In 2019, rural transit vehicles in Georgia traveled more than 16 million miles and provided more than 1.5 million rides to jobs, shopping, doctor’s appointments and more. Base fares average $2 to $3 per trip.
“Transit offers the citizens of Georgia independence and the ability to get where they need to go when they need to get there, and we are excited to be able to partner with Southern Georgia Regional Commission to bring this service to citizens of rural Georgia,” said Carol Comer, Director, Division of Intermodal. “We value our transit partners across the state and look forward to expanding our partnership with more regional providers in the future.”
The Southern Georgia Regional Commission will provide transit opportunities to those needing transportation options in Atkinson, Bacon, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Charlton, Coffee, Cook, Irwin, Lowndes, Pierce, Tift, Turner and Ware counties. Riders are encouraged to schedule trips for such things as doctor visits, trips to the grocery store, local community points of interest, to name a few, at least 24-hours in advance and designate pick-up and drop-off locations. Fares and hours vary based on county. Riders will also have the advantage of utilizing the Let’s Ride mobile App where they can schedule these trips using their mobile phone. The mobile phone app will be available for download before the end of July.
Rules and Tips for Riding the Southern Georgia Regional Commission:
- Be sure to provide at least 24 hours’ notice to schedule a ride.
- Children under 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Child car seats must be provided by an adult for children under the age of five.
- Wear seat belts at all times.
- Have exact cash payment ready when boarding.
- Be courteous and respectful to other riders by limiting personal items.
- No offensive language, gestures, threats, or violence will be tolerated.
Let’s Ride is a marketing and branding initiative created to promote greater awareness and ridership of rural transit services in local communities across Georgia. Georgia DOT is currently assisting local transit operators with procuring Let’s Ride branded buses during its annual vehicle replacement and expansion program. Georgia DOT is also equipping rural transit operators with a variety of tools to implement this campaign locally.
For more information on the Southern Georgia Regional Commission public transit services including hours of operation and fares based on county, visit https://www.sgrc.us/public-transit-services.html. For more information about Georgia DOT and transit, visit http://www.dot.ga.gov/IS/Transit.
