Courtesy | DCT
SUNBURY — Delaware County Transit (DCT) announced it will be expanding its same-day microtransit service to the city of Sunbury, Berkshire Township, and the Village of Galena starting Oct. 14.
“It will serve all of Sunbury, a portion of northern Galena, and portions of Berkshire Township, notably, the Tanger Outlet Mall,” DCT Executive Director Andy Volenik told The Gazette. “Service will be Monday – Friday 6 a.m. – 6 p.m. Fare is $2 and $1 for elderly (over 65), youth (19 and younger) and disabled.”
The microtransit service is called FLEX by DCT.
“Microtransit is a transit-industry term meaning same-day on demand service where trips can be booked through an app (like Uber) or by contacting our Mobility Management team at 740-363-3355,” Volenik said.
The FLEX service was launched for the city of Delaware in June 2020. Service is 5 a.m. – 9 p.m. Monday – Friday and 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday. According to ridership statistics given during a presentation by Volenik to the Sunbury/Big Walnut Area Chamber of Commerce, 76,928 FLEX rides were provided from January – August 2024.
“In August, Delaware County Transit provided a record breaking 13,807 trips throughout Delaware!” said the DCT Facebook page.
In addition, 550 FLEX rides were provided on Sept. 4. DCT said it is currently providing FLEX rides to the Delaware County Fair.
Sunbury currently has Demand Response Service with DCT. This is a call-ahead service using a tiered fare based on mileage. These rates are $8 for 0 – 10 miles; $17 for 11 – 20 miles; and $29 for more than 20 miles.
“Sunbury is currently Demand Response only, which has higher fares and requires you to schedule your trip by noon of the business day prior to the trip,” said the PowerPoint presentation to the chamber. “Having a FLEX service in Sunbury will lower fares and allow same-day, immediate booking within a geographic area.”
The service area will also provide “direct connection to Big Walnut Elementary, Middle and High Schools,” the presentation said.
Ridership in Sunbury from January – April 2024 were 205 pick-ups and 204 drop-offs.
DCT currently has 46 drivers operating 30 vehicles with an operating budget of $5.1 million and a 12,000-square-foot facility at 119 Henderson Court, Delaware. DCT is currently hiring drivers.
For more information, visit delcotransit.com (website) or Delaware County Transit (Facebook). The DCT app is available through the Apple App Store and Google Play.
Assistant Editor Gary Budzak photographs and reports on stories in eastern Delaware County and surrounding areas. He can be reached at 740-413-0906.
