HARRISONBURG, VA (Rocktown Now) – The Harrisonburg Department of Public Transportation (HDPT) will soon institute changes to three transit routes based on community input, upcoming needs and the results of the department’s latest Transit Strategic Plan.

Route 4, which serves community members along and near South Main Street, will add new stops – including one at the soon-to-open Rocktown High School. In addition to operating school buses for Harrisonburg City Public Schools, HDPT serves many students through its transit service. New stops also will be added on South Main Street between Martin Luther King, Jr. Way and Gay Street, at the Rose’s transit hub, on East Market Street between Mason Street and Martin Luther King, Jr. Way, and on Martin Luther King, Jr. Way between East Market and South Main streets.

With new stops added on Route 4, some underutilized stops on Route 4 will be eliminated. Additionally, two stops on Route 5, which serves a portion of the northern end of the city, and the Bridgewater-Dayton Shuttle, which runs into a portion of Rockingham County on Tuesdays and Thursdays, will no longer operate as HDPT incorporates new efficiency efforts to better serve Harrisonburg riders. Route changes will go into effect Monday, Aug. 12.

“We are always looking for ways to better serve our community and make sure riding HDPT is convenient and effective for your needs,” HDPT Director Gerald Gatobu said. “These new changes are based on feedback we have received from riders, as well as data we have collected from our routes every day. As we make these changes, we will continue looking for other improvements we can make in the future focused on providing excellent customer service, ensuring the safety of our riders, and staying on schedule so you can get where you need to go when you need to get there.”

Find more information on the department at https://harrisonburgva.gov/hdpt.