ROCK HILL, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) – Rock Hill’s free bus system, MyRide, is hitting a big anniversary. It’s been two years since the electric buses began taking route around the city.
Rock Hill leaders are taking a look in the rearview mirror of MyRide’s success. Two years ago today the bus system embarked on its first route and now leaders are speaking about how its changed the city.
“You know it’s really important that we as a community recognize the big benefits that MyRide gives us. It doesn’t just get the people of Rock Hill to grocery stores for healthy foods, or to doctors’ appointments, or to jobs, but it is also a key element to the economic development of our community. And so, you know we have to look at how can we expand MyRide and I’m looking forward to those conversations and seeing us go from four routes to more routes,” says Mayor Gettys.
Right now MyRide has four distinct routes for those routes they are three corporate including Family Trust Federal Credit Union, Winthrop University, and Piedmont Medical Center. City leaders say there have been talks about adding additional routes, but to do so, for each route they’ll need an additional corporate sponsor.
Cliff Goolsby, the City of Rock Hill’s Transportation Manager, says, “While we’re looking at what options are available in the future there’s probably things that we can look at it like expanding our hours.”
In the spring of 2020, ridership was on the incline reaching 6,100 passenger trips per week just before COVID. During COVID ridership dropped to about 2,000 trips per week by the end of 2020. Now, so far in 2021, ridership has been averaging about 3,000 trips per week.
“A lot of people talk about expanding our routes or adding more routes and some people of asked us to add more buses to our routes,” says Goolsby.
Seen as a blue jewel in Rock Hill’s community leaders say the service is unmatched.
“You know to me it’s really neat to see a blue bus going around that we can call our own, MyRide. I noticed when I go to other communities on the coast or in the Midlands or otherwise, and I look at their bus systems and I just sort of smirk at them because they’re not anywhere close to what we do,” says Mayor Gettys.
In the video above, CN2s Rachel Richardson is speaking with leaders about the buses impact and what’s next.
