Catch-A-Ride Will Stop Bus Loops Sept. 1

Catch-A-Ride bus

(Lawrenceburg, Ind.) – LifeTime Resources’ Catch-A-Ride public transportation service will cease accepting walk-on passengers starting September 1.

Catch-A-Ride Director Debbie Horton said it will be a positive change for residents of Lawrenceburg, Greendale, and Aurora who use the bus. The service will continue to offer demand response transportation for city and Dearborn County residents who call ahead.

Currently, Catch-A-Ride operates on a continuous loop similar to that of a city bus system with set stops at high traffic destinations including Wal-Mart, Kroger, Dearborn County Hospital, and the Lawrenceburg Public Library. However, there are on average only two walk-on riders per day.

"The elimination of established stops allows Catch-A-Ride to make more trips, more cost effectively.  We are always looking for ways to improve our service, while decreasing costs," Horton said.

Sally Beckley, Executive Director of LifeTime Resources, said funding required Catch-A-Ride to include walk-on stops when the service began in 2000. That requirement is no longer in place.

"There are so few people who just walk-on, and in the meantime, we deny rides to people who call in for a reservation because we are tied up with the required stops," Beckley said.

Catch-A-Ride made the same change to demand response earlier in Batesville and Greensburg, with scheduled rides in both cities increasing and the cost of service decreasing.

"We expect the same results with this change," said Horton. 

According to LifeTime Resources, in 2010 Catch-A-Ride ended the point deviation route in Batesville and the total number of rides was 10,930. In 2011 total number of rides increased to 12,382. 

In the six weeks leading up to the elimination of the point deviation route in Greensburg this past July, Catch-A-Ride averaged 90 trips per week. Since the change six weeks ago the transportation service has been averaging 234 rides per week in Greensburg.

Lawrenceburg, Greendale, and Aurora passengers can call Catch-A-Ride (812) 432-3960 or (800) 330-7603 between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to schedule rides. Rides can be scheduled up to seven days in advance, but no later than noon the day prior to pickup.

Catch-A-Ride will also continue to offers rural route service to Dearborn County residents outside of the city limits.