V-Line (bus)
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 Orange Line route bus stops at Valparaiso University. |
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| Headquarters | 304 East 316 North Suite A, Valparaiso, IN 46383 [1] |
| Service area | Valparaiso, Dune Park. |
| Service type | bus service |
| Routes | 5, plus shuttle service |
| Operator | McDonald Transit |
| Web site | V-Line |
The V-Line is the local bus operation in Valparaiso, Indiana. Service began on October 1, 2007 making Valparaiso one of the smallest cities in the United States to have its own independent public transit system.[2][3]
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[edit] Operations
The V-line is operated by McDonald Transit, a national transit operator primarily serving universities. In Valparaiso, the bus mostly serves the elderly and students of Valparaiso University. Commuters within the city also use it, but it is secondary to personal vehicles as a mode of transit.[4]
The system consists of 104 stops along 4 lines. The Green Line, Yellow Line, and Brown Line operate in the city of Valparaiso on weekdays and weekends. These three lines run as "flexible fixed" routes, meaning they have standard, scheduled stops which can be altered en route to meet the needs of those who cannot otherwise reach the bus.[4] The fourth line, the Orange Line, operates express between Valparaiso University's student center and the Dune Park South Shore rail on Fridays-Sundays when Valparaiso University is in session and Fridays-Saturdays during the summer.[5] The line does not operate when NICTD conducts track and canatary repairs. On May 18, 2009, V-Line introduced a shuttle service that runs from Dune Park station to Valparaiso’s Village Station on weekdays during during evenings as a way to supplement ChicaGo Dash bus service.
The system was started using a $615,000 federal grant. Until early 2008, the buses are used, rented 16-24 person capacity minibuses. In Jan. 2008, new buses of similar capacity will be delivered.[6] A standard one-way fare costs $1.00 with one free transfer. Passengers are expressly forbidden from using the transfer on the same route. Senior citizens, children 5-18, and the disabled ride for half price. Young children (under age 4) and Valparaiso University students ride for free.[7].
[edit] Recent Service Changes
In August 2009, Valparaiso officials announced a series of changes that went into effect in the end of the month. First and foremost, V-Line gained a new Red Line route, which began service August 28, 2009. It is essentially an alternate version of the Orange Line route - the buses that would previously sit idle during the scheduling breaks now travel around the city, overlapping with Green Line, Yellow Line and Brown Line buses.[8] During Sundays, it serves as an alternative to Yellow and Green Line routes, which don't operate on the first days of the week. The Red Line route is added on experimental basis for three months - if it does well, it will be made permanent.[9]
In addition to introducing the Red Line, V-Line rearranged the schedules for the other routes. For Orange Line, the fall-spring Friday and Saturday service was truncated from 1:00 AM to 10:20 PM and 10:00 PM, respectively. As the result, Saturday and Sunday schedules became identical. By contrast, Yellow and Green Line route schedules were extended, running an hour later then before. Brown Line route was expanded, adding service to Ivy Tech and the Valparaiso Walk shopping complex.[10]
Future expansion calls for weekday commuter service to Dune Park and additional service in downtown Valparaiso.
[edit] Routes
- Green Line- Technical Center to Porter's Vale to Vale Park Rd.
- Yellow Line- Andover Plaza to Downtown to Bullseye Lake Rd.
- Brown Line- Porter's Vale to Valparaiso Marketplace to Downtown
- Orange Line- Dune Park Station to Downtown
- Red Line- Bullseye Lake Road to Downtown to Vale Park Rd.
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.ci.valparaiso.in.us/v-line/contactus.html
- ^ V-Line Welcome Aboard!
- ^ http://www.post-trib.com/news/opinion/588372,edit.article
- ^ a b http://nwitimes.com/articles/2007/10/07/news/porter_county/doca286ef29642301de8625736c0081d60b.txt
- ^ V-Line Rider Information - Routes
- ^ MassTransitMag.com » Article » 'V-Line' Ready to Roll in Valparaiso
- ^ V-Line Rider Information - Fares
- ^ http://www.ci.valparaiso.in.us/v-line/timetables_redfriday.html
- ^ http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/article_d4be3a28-5770-54ae-a071-92d5e2c7144e.html
- ^ Summary of the most recent service updates
[edit] External links
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