25-03-2025
Local shuttle service to offer cashless payments this summer
(WKBN) — A transportation service in the Shenango Valley is expanding its payment options.
The Shenango Valley Shuttle Service will start offering cashless payments as soon as June.
Directors say a third party is helping them develop an app where riders can pay the $1.25 fare and scan a QR code on their phone when they hop on the shuttle.
They will also be adding a smart card system where riders can insert or tap their credit and debit cards.
The new payment options are part of the service's Transit Development Plan.
'We hope to really have some changes in the future. Some of our bus routes have not changed over the last 20 years, so we need to reach out to see if we're meeting the needs of the Mercer of Mercer County and the Shenango Valley,' said Mercer County Regional Council of Governments Executive Director Jill Boozer.
Riders will still be able to pay shuttle fares in cash, and the new payment options do not apply to the Mercer County Community Transit shuttles.
The Shenango Valley Shuttle Service currently has five routes and does not run on Sundays or certain holidays. It also only runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Boozer said extending hours is one of the biggest requests.
'Right now, that's not really feasible,' Boozer said. 'We need about five more drivers and are looking for mechanics, too.'
According to a 2023 Public Transportation Performance Report, the Shenango Valley Shuttle Service and the Mercer County Community Transit serve almost 5,000 riders with almost 60,000 trips per year.
You can find the available routes online here.
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