Greenlink Ridership Tops 1 Million in 2014

Greenlink recorded 1,030,000 rides in 2014, a 9.1% increase compared with 2013, according to Greenville Transit Authority officials.

Contributing to the increase was a 2.3% growth in ridership on Greenlink’s 11 fixed routes, an expanding Clemson Commuter service which added Saturday service in 2014, and the Aug. 2014 addition of two downtown trolleys to the Greenlink fleet.

“Our ridership has grown steadily in the past few years as we’ve expanded fixed route service into Mauldin-Simpsonville, and developed public/private partnerships to provide transportation services such as the CU-ICAR/St. Francis Shuttle, the Clemson Connector and the Clemson Commuter,” said Transit Director Mark Rickards. “We anticipate continuing ridership increases as a result of extended hours on fixed routes and the addition of new circulators to reach outlying areas of Greenville County in the near future.”

Greenlink routes recording the highest ridership in 2014 were Route 10/Augusta Road with an average of 11,069 rides per month, and Route 2/White Horse Road with an average of 10,887 rides per month. The Augusta Road and Mauldin-Simpsonville routes recorded the highest ridership increases, each at 12%, followed by the Dunean-Grove Road route at 11.6%.

In 2014, Greenlink introduced service enhancements that included complimentary Wi-Fi service on all vehicles, and a bus locator service that allows passengers to view the real time whereabouts of fixed route buses either online or via a smart phone.

“All of these enhancements improve the public transit experience,” Rickards said. “These are critical steps in strengthening the Greenlink system and preparing us to better serve a diverse ridership.”

Greenlink provides fixed route transportation services Monday through Saturday in the city of Greenville and throughout Greenville County. The system operates the Clemson Commuter, Clemson Connector and CU-ICAR/St. Francis Shuttle, and owns and operates Greenville’s downtown trolleys. The Greenlink system also includes Greenville Area Paratransit (GAP), an ADA service for those unable to use Greenlink’s fixed route service. For more information, call 864.467.2700 or visit www.RideGreenlink.com.