By Jackie Todd, Office of Media Relations
Changes are in store for riders who use Greenlink’s Tiger Commute route that connects Clemson and Greenville. Beginning July 1, Greenlink will alter its partnership with Clemson University to provide bus service on the Clemson/Greenville route.
But fear not. Clemson’s Parking and Transportation Services will provide transportation to the university’s faculty, staff and students via Tiger Transit. To board the bus, faculty, staff and students must show their Clemson ID card.
The change comes with good news.
Tiger Transit buses on this route will now leave every 30 minutes during the peak hours, instead of every 60 minutes. This change becomes effective in the fall. The bus stops will remain the same, according to Dan Hofmann, director of Parking and Transportation Services.
“Riders will be able to board their bus at the same location that they always have,” he explained. “Additionally, the buses will offer a more comfortable ride.”
Hofmann said Tiger Transit buses will have a GPS function installed. Riders can use the my.clemson mobile phone app, to track the exact location of the bus.
Although WI-FI will not initially be available on the Tiger Transit buses, Hofmann said that his department is in talks with Verizon to offer that service to riders.
The decision to cease service on this route was purely financial, according to the Greenville Transit Authority (GTA). The authority reported that federal and state funding cuts precluded its ability to subsidize the service. Clemson University also provided financial support for the bus route. By bringing the service “in house,” the university will reportedly save approximately $100,000 annually.
Clemson will continue to partner with GTA to provide service to satellite Greenville campus locations. GTA reports that the Clemson connector route in Greenville will be replaced by its new “Circulator” route. The new route will provide service to CU-ICAR, the University Center, Haywood Mall, Greenville Health System’s Patewood Campus and Bon Secours St. Francis Health System’s Eastside and Millennium campuses. According to GTA, passengers on Clemson’s Tiger Commute route will also be able to connect to Greenlink’s Route 14, which will now include both inbound and outbound stops at CU-ICAR connecting to downtown Greenville. Faculty, staff and students can also ride these routes fare free by showing their Clemson ID.
