Decatur, GA — The city of Decatur has announced that the GoDecatur Circulator shuttle will not operate on Sept. 27, Oct. 25 and Nov. 29, according to a Facebook post from the city.
The shuttle drivers are also crossing guards in the morning and afternoon during each school day, Planning and Economic Development Director Angela Threadgill said.
“Sept. 27, Oct. 25, and Nov. 29 are dates established by the City Schools of Decatur as early-release days,” she said. “The crossing guards need to be on duty each of these early release days to keep our students and community safe, which means that the circulator shuttle won’t be able to operate on these particular days.”
The two 12-passenger buses run continuously from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday and Wednesday. Those days saw the highest ridership throughout the pilot program with Let’s Ride Atlanta, Threadgill previously said. The GoDecatur shuttle is not age-restricted, but preference will be given to seniors.
The GoDecatur shuttle is a pilot program to provide transportation between city residential neighborhoods and the city’s five commercial districts. The shuttle service is free and will run through November.
“This is a way to pick up the service but expand the service,” Threadgill said. “The other part of the equation is that prior to the pandemic, the DDA also contributed to what was called the Go60+ shuttle. That was a service for our local seniors to access services in our downtown, in our other commercial districts. This is a marriage between the service of Let’s Ride Atlanta and the Go60+ shuttle that was in existence prior to the pandemic.”
Threadgill added that the city is working on a permanent shuttle service. She anticipates a proposal for a permanent shuttle to come before the DDA toward the end of the year.
The buses operating the circulator are existing vehicles owned by the parks and recreation department, according to a previous press release. When not in use for other activities, they are slated to serve the GoDecatur Circulator, which will run in a continuous loop and include the following 15 stops:
– Decatur Recreation Center – 231 Sycamore Street
– Philips Tower – 218 E. Trinity Place
– Harmony Park – 630 East Lake Drive
– Oakview Walk – 1111 Oakview Road
– Oakhurst Recreation Center – 450 East Lake Drive
– Oliver House – 1450 Commerce Drive
– Park Trace Apartments – 700 Atlanta Avenue
– US Post Office – 520 W. Ponce de Leon Avenue
– Commerce Square/CVS Shopping Center – 225 W. Ponce de Leon Ave
– Clairemont Oaks – 441 Clairemont Road
– YMCA – 1110 Clairemont Road
– Town Square Condos/Pure Service Station – 249 E. Ponce de Leon Ave
– Publix/Sam’s Crossing – 2720 E. Ponce de Leon Ave
– Columbia Residences – 590 E. Freeman Street
– Legacy Park – 500 S. Columbia Drive
The timing of the full loop is about 45 minutes, but riders may wait up to 20 minutes before the next shuttle arrives, Threadgill said.
“Pick-up points at the senior residential communities and most destination points have lobby seating or outdoor benches for ridership, but not all,” Threadgill said. “For instance, CVS shopping center and the post office do not have benches. Riders will be provided with a phone number to call about service.”
For more information on the route and schedule, please the city’s website.
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