MARSHALL — The Community Transit program of United Community Action Partnership has a new service starting next week. Beginning Monday, a bus will travel at regular intervals between Tracy and Marshall. The Purple Route will include pre-determined stops in Tracy, Balaton and Marshall, but it will stop at other locations along the route by request. 

“We really want this to be useful for people,” said Nick Leske, Community Transit operations administrator. “We aren’t limiting it to set bus stops.” 

Route service that covers key locations in Lyon County has been in discussion for a long time and when Lyon County expressed interest in partnering to make it happen, they couldn’t let the opportunity go. “With Lyon County’s support, we had the backing we needed to get things moving.” 

The Purple Route will begin each weekday at 6:45 a.m. in Tracy then head to Balaton and Marshall. It will begin the first trip back to Tracy at 8:45 a.m. at the Marshall Walmart. The same sequence will repeat at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.   

Community Transit will be offering free rides on the Purple Route during its first week, June 24-28.   

“If you need to get between Tracy and Marshall for anything, save gas and try transit,” Leske said. “Next week is a great opportunity for anyone who has never used transit to take a ride on us.” 

Scheduled Purple Route stops include Sebastian Park, Park Place and Veterans Memorial Center in Tracy, Lions Park in Balaton, and the Marshall Walmart. A more detailed schedule is available on the UCAP website or by talking to transit staff. The transit office number is 537-7628 

“We will begin in each city by picking up anyone who has called in advance for a pick-up at their residence or another location, and then head to the set route stops,” Leske said. 

Leske said the main purpose for this route is to make county-wide travel easier for everyone.

“This is a work in progress,” he said. “We really want people to give it a try, and if it doesn’t work well, tell us how to make it better.”