Shuttle bus offers extended routes in GV, Sahuarita

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A new shuttle system offering extended routes through Green Valley, Sahuarita and up to Tucson launches Monday.

Three 16-passenger Sun Shuttles, operated by the Regional Transportation Authority, will run 10 hours per day on weekdays and 6 hours on Saturday. This is a big improvement on the current system, which includes one shuttle that runs just 6 hours per day, said Dick Roberts, head of the Green Valley Community Coordinating Council’s Transit Committee.

Roberts has been working on upgrading RTA’s transportation system in Green Valley for nearly 11 years, and says he and other committee members are happy to finally see the program come to fruition.

He says the improved transportation system will benefit the community because many residents don’t drive and rely on the shuttle, or carpooling neighbors, to get to the doctor’s office or run errands.

“We’re a small community, but physically, we’re rather large. It takes 8 miles to get from one end to the other, and 10 to 15 when you include Sahuarita,” Roberts said.

Four routes will be in operation:

Route 420: Sahuarita Loop. Stops at Wal-mart, Town Hall, Safeway on Duval Mine Road, Quail Crossing.

Route 425: Green Valley Town Center. Stops at Walmart, Green Valley Village, Casa de Esperanza.

Route 426: Green Valley South Loop. Stops at Safeway on Continental, Canoa Ranch, Torres Blancas Golf Course.

Route 421: GV/Sahuarita Connector. Stops at the Ronsdadt and Laos Transit Centers in Tucson, Casa de Esperanza, Green Valley Village, Sahuarita Town Hall, Hughes Federal Credit Union.

Shuttles operate 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, except Route 421, which operates in Green Valley from 6:30 a.m. to 6:40 p.m. on weekdays.

Riders who meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) eligibility requirements and those 65 years and older can schedule a pick-up or drop-off within three-fourths of the three routes. This must be scheduled 24 hours in advance.

The Sun Shuttle will be free through May 31. Regular fair is $1, deviated service, $2.

Contact RTA at 520-792-9222, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, or Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Kickoff events for the Sun Shuttle system are set for Monday, at noon at the Sahuarita Town Municipal Complex, and at 1 p.m. in the Green Valley Village, Suite. 13.

jrichardson@gvnews.com | 547-9726