Starting Oct. 5, Connect Transit is launching a new seven-day-a-week bus route called the Mint Route, aimed at serving shoppers throughout Normal.
The Mint Route will replace the existing Red Express that will run its last routes on Oct. 3.
Unlike the Red Express, which operates on a limited weekday schedule with hourly service, the Mint Route will run every 30 minutes, seven days a week.
The new service also starts earlier — at 6:35 a.m. — offering an additional 25 minutes of travel time compared with the former 7 a.m. start.
In addition to expanded hours, the Mint Route includes more stops between its traditional service points at Fort Jesse Road and Jacobsen Drive. New destinations include Menards, Sam’s Club, Goodwill and Greenbriar Apartments.
The route also adds several other stops designed to better meet retail and shopping needs, including Landmark Plaza near Portillo’s and Kroger, Young Drive and College Avenue, the Shoppes at College Hills, the Chateau Hotel and Conference Center, and Susan Drive and Patriot Drive near Meijer.
The Mint Route will operate as a continuous loop, restarting at Walmart in Normal at the beginning of each cycle.
