For immediate release - May 17, 2007

Lake County's new bus service to roll out May 21

TAVARES — Lake County's newest public-transportation endeavor, the LakeXpress bus line, will begin service on Monday, May 21, at 6 a.m.

The fixed-route service runs every hour from The Villages to Eustis with a circulator route in downtown Leesburg. The service is designed to make daily commutes along U.S. Highway 441 hassle free. In years to come, the service will be expanded to other urban areas of the County, such as a downtown Mount Dora circulator route, scheduled to begin later this year.

“LakeXpress will not only link people within Lake County, but it will also provide important connections to shopping, medical and social appointments,” said Ken Harley, Manager of the Public Transportation Division.

LakeXpress operates Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. Buses do not run on Saturdays, Sundays and the following federal holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

During an introductory period, the bus service will be free to all passengers. Once the service becomes established, LakeXpress will offer an affordable and fair range of fares. All trips will be $1 and half-fares will be available for seniors 60 years or older and students with a valid school ID; and for individuals with disabilities (buses are equipped with lifts). Free fares are available for children under five years of age, which are accompanied by a fare-paying chaperone.

Initially, passengers will be able to "flag" a bus down anywhere along the route by raising their hand and motioning to the driver as the bus approaches. The driver will determine the safest and most convenient spot to allow passengers to board. Passengers may depart the bus in a similar manner by notifying the driver of their desired drop-off location. The driver will again determine the safest and most convenient spot to let the passenger exit the bus. In the future, passengers may board and exit the bus at designated LakeXpress bus-stop locations, which are to be installed in phases along the routes.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for LakeXpress will take place on Monday, June 11, at 9 a.m. at 315 W. Main St. in Tavares. For more information about LakeXpress, call (352) 326-8637.

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Media contact:
Christopher Patton
Public Information Coordinator
Office: (352) 343-9609; Cell: (352) 455-0445
cpatton@lakecountyfl.gov