Connect Transit

The Downtown Bloomington post office has abruptly closed three weeks ahead of schedule, leaving downtown merchants and residents without access to its facility ahead of the postal service’s busiest week of the year.

“We are less looking for … a community hub. We are more sticking to the knitting and providing top-notch transportation services at that nice location right in the buckle,” said Connect Transit board chair Julie Hile.

Brightpoint's Bloomington Crisis Nursery is working to fill its pantry through the annual Stuff the Bus event, which runs through Saturday. The event focuses on collecting food donations and supplies for children up to 6 years old.

Connect Transit had already secured $18 million in state and federal funding for the center, but its costs have risen over time, leaving transit officials to pursue additional revenue or consider scaling back the project.

David Braun, Connect Transit’s managing director, has taken a leave of absence and may not return to the transit agency, according to an internal communication obtained by WGLT.

Ryan Whitehouse, the Illinois Farm Bureau’s director of national legislation, died Wednesday following an accident in Michigan.

Connect Transit is launching a new seven-day-a-week bus route called the Mint Route, aimed at serving shoppers throughout Normal.

The City of Bloomington is declining to throw good money after bad to repair its Market Street parking deck. The city said it will close the parking garage on Aug. 22.

Connect Go, the new on-demand public transportation service in McLean County, is looking to expand service to meet what managers see as growing demand.

Connect Transit says all bus routes that use the Front Street Transfer Center will now transfer at a new temporary location at Roosevelt and Jefferson streets.