Longview Transit Plans Route to Gladewater

LONGVIEW � As Longview�s transit system enters its 10th year, data released Tuesday showed city buses carried nearly a quarter-million passengers in 2012. And with ridership up 20 percent from the year before, Longview Transit officials are casting an eye westward, planning to launch a new route March 1 between Longview and Gladewater. KETK and the Longview News-Journal report the proposed Route 7 would loop on Marshall Avenue and Cotton Street in Longview before leaving the city on U.S. Highway 80 heading west. The city bus would then loop through Gladewater hitting three stops before heading back to Longview via U.S. 80.

�We have a proposed start date of March 1. Longview Transit is already looking at the route, and we believe it will tie in with what we have in place right now,� said Longview Transit Director of Operations Tequita Mumphrey. Mumphrey addressed members of Longview�s Public Transportation Advisory Committee on Tuesday. The Gladewater City Council agreed to support its portion of the route in the council�s January 17 meeting, while city of Longview officials will address the proposed route at a council meeting in February. If accepted, Route 7 will begin operating March 1 and will run until August, giving Longview Transit officials time to gather data on the use and response to the bus route.