Connect Transit

The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee has announced funding for several electric bus and charging infrastructure projects in Illinois through the omnibus appropriations bill signed into law in March.

New bus service to the Rivian electric vehicle plant begins on Sunday.

Connect Transit doesn't have enough bus drivers to run all its routes, so Bloomington-Normal's public transit system said Wednesday it will reduce weekday frequency on some routes to weekend levels starting Oct. 9.

The system expects to have 12 electric buses by the end of 2022, another five by the end of 2023, and five more being purchased as part of a $13 million grant.

Working parents face serious challenges coming out of the pandemic, but access to quality childcare and public transportation are not unique to the COVID-19 era.

Connect Transit will get a $13 million federal grant that will pay for five new electric buses, electric vans for a new on-demand micro-transit service, and a new training and storage facility.

A former longtime head of Bloomington-Normal’s bus system has died. Pete Weber was general manager of the Bloomington-Normal Public Transit System (B-NPTS) until the end of 2009 when he retired after 35 years with the system.

Connect Transit plans to debut its new micro-transit service next spring. Through a mobile app, riders will be able to schedule vehicles to pick them up and take them to fixed routes to reach their destination.

Connect Transit has added enough drivers to restore more frequent routes during peak times.

Illinois State University officials said the new College of Engineering will create a more welcoming environment to encourage women and minority students who previously have shied away from engineering careers.