Besides keeping schedules on our buses, you can find schedules at a variety of local retail, lodging, and medical establishments. If you are a business or organization that would like us to deliver information to you, call us at 740-592-2727.
If you made it to the stop on time, the most likely answer is that the bus was delayed by heavy traffic, road work across its route, or an accident. Buses should never be early, though we do encourage you to be at the stop 2-5 minutes before the scheduled arrival. If you have waited PAST the scheduled stop time, call our dispatch office at 740-592-2727 to find out what is happening. We also put out service interruption alerts on our agency Facebook page. Our real-time bus tracking service is another good source of information about delay. Check it out on the web at aptcats.doublemap.com or download free iOS and Android native apps. Find out more on our Real-Time Bus Tracker page.
Each bus displays its line number on a colored placard next to the bottom of the passenger door, and on a similar placard on the front grill.
Bobcat Pass is a partnership with Ohio University and the City of Athens. It allows Ohio University Students, Faculty, and Staff to ride the bus free an unlimited number of times by presenting your valid Ohio University ID card to the APT bus driver.
The first time you ride, the driver will mark your ID with a small sticker on the back. After that, just show your ID as you board.
Flagging, or hailing as it is also known, is the act of waving for the bus to stop.
APT uses flagging in more rural parts of our service area with low ridership and a long distance between bus stops.
APT only stops the bus at safe locations; for example, parts of SR 682 and SR 13 may be problematic because of visibility or narrow berms, and the bus will stop as near to you as it is safely able. The bus will not pick you up if you are walking on a high-speed four lane highway such as U.S. Route 33 or 32/50 – these are unsafe locations.
You can also flag the bus at a designated bus stop if you’re feeling unsure that the driver sees you.
Places the bus WILL stop for you.
APT is a fixed-stop system in the City of Athens; the bus will only stop at designated bus stop locations to pick you up.
In addition to dropping you off at designated bus stops, APT also allows you to depart at any stop sign that the bus would normally stop at on its line. However, we do not allow boarding at stop signs.
People with disabilities who can’t get to our fixed stops may register for our paratransit program, which offers more pickup/drop-off flexibility. Outlying and rural parts of our system are areas you can flag the bus at any safe location. Please refer to our Rider Guide for our hail zone locations.
Places the bus WON’T stop for you:
Note that the stop sign rule DOES NOT apply to stop lights, which may turn green at any moment.
Absolutely do not attempt to board or depart from the bus when it is in a center or left lane of traffic. You may only board or depart the bus when the door is along the curb side of the roadway.
GoBus has two stops in Athens – behind the first floor of Baker Center, and in the parking lot of the Athens Community Center. Both these stops are served by multiple APT bus lines
To transfer to the GoBus Baker Center stop, ride Lines 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 to our main bus hub on West Mulberry Street. To transfer to the GoBus Community Center stop, ride Lines 2, 3, or 4 to the Athens Community Center.
Athens Public Transit offers local businesses and organizations an opportunity to advertise in our vehicles. Ads are printed on heavy card stock and are mounted directly above the passenger seating area. Our pricing is affordable, and with hundreds of thousands of rides each year, it’s a great way to have your message seen by many sets of eyes. Booking can be arranged monthly or for multi-month periods at discount rates; public service announcements get an additional discount. Please contact us 740-592-2727 if you’re interested in placing an ad on our buses.
If you leave anything on the bus, call (740) 592-2727. Bear in mind that while we will make every effort to locate and return your lost item to you, Athens Public Transit is not responsible for items left on buses.
Service animals can accompany the customer they assist but must always be on a leash or harness when on the bus. You are responsible for your service animal’s behavior and any consequences that may occur due to their presence on the bus.
Non-service animals are only allowed on Athens Public Transit vehicles in enclosed pet carriers or leashes. Drivers reserve the right to disqualify non-service animals based on safety concerns or for misbehavior.