CORRECTION (6/3/26): This article originally stated that Athens Transit was doubling frequency on routes 12 and 14 starting on June 4. But the doubling had already happened back in January. The main change to routes 12 and 14 happening now is that they will arrive at the UGA Arch on the quarter hour, making it easier for passengers to remember.
Tomorrow, Athens Transit will make systemwide changes to its service, including on routes 12 and 14 and also shifting route 22 to start 30 minutes earlier in the morning.
Currently, route 12 (which serves Riverbend Parkway) and route 14 (which serves Lumpkin Street and S. Milledge Avenue) both arrive at the UGA arch once an hour during the summer, shuttling students to and from campus. Starting on June 4, these buses will arrive at the arch starting at 6:45 am and continuing at 45 minutes past each hour. During the UGA academic year, these routes will arrive once every 30 minutes, at 15 and 45 minutes past each hour, making it easier to remember than the old schedule.
Route 22 (which serves the eastside, including Cedar Shoals Drive and Gaines School Road) currently begins service at 6:15 am. Starting on June 4, this route will begin service at 5:45 am, shifting its schedule to arrive 30 minutes sooner at each stop throughout the day.
Additionally, minor time adjustments will be made systemwide, so make sure to check accgov.com for the most up-to-date information.
These changes are coming during a ridership boom on Athens Transit following the adoption of fare-free bus service in 2020 and the full implementation of an automated passenger counting system last year. Athens Transit Director Victor Pope says that the data his team has collected over the past year using the new passenger counting system has allowed for him to make better use of transit resources to serve the public. His team also analyzed community feedback from a transit survey in March while deciding on the new route structure. Pope says the new structure will help improve on-time performance and make it easier for passengers.
“ACC Transit Planning staff has identified the need to place route 12 – Riverbend and 14 – Lumpkin-South Milledge on a 30-minute frequency to address on-time performance as well as address customer feedback for easier bus route scheduling,” Pope told APN. “Operating on a 30-minute cycle allows passengers to easily predict the bus schedule/location by time of day.”
Yet, these changes are also coming during a period of uncertainty for Athens Transit funding. This year, Athens-area State Representative Houston Gaines co-sponsored a piece of legislation – HB 328 – that, among other things, prohibits using TSPLOST sales tax dollars to provide “free or reduced fares for public transit service.” TSPLOST is currently a very large part of the funding for Athens Transit, a system which does provide fare-free service.
But don’t worry. It’s unclear whether HB 328 will have any effect on Athens Transit whatsoever, regardless of Gaines’ wishes.
The TSPLOST project currently funding Athens Transit is entitled “ACCGov Public Transit Operations” and that’s exactly what the money is used for. Spending sales tax dollars on transit operations is still entirely legal under state law, something that HB 328 itself affirms.
In a literal sense, fare-free does not require funding; it’s transit operations that do. Transit expenses are actually lower in fare-free systems than on systems that charge fares, assuming everything else stays the same. Of course, transit revenue is also lower, but HB 328 does not require transit systems to gain revenue in certain ways. All it does it describe the way sales tax dollars can and can not be spent.
Simply put, HB 328 is more bark than bite.
If you’re a new rider on Athens Transit, you should know about a very useful feature – the Athens Transit app. This app can show exactly where your bus is so you can estimate when it will arrive at your stop.
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