Bluegrass RIDE started running four round trips from Danville to Lexington, Monday through Friday, as of Feb. 19.

Riders can get from Danville to Lexington on one bus, with stops in Nicholasville at the Downtown Transfer Station (Walnut St. and York St.); the Nicholasville Walmart; and Brannon Crossing.

Stops along the route in Lexington include UK Chandler Hospital, Lextran, BCTC Newtown Campus North, and Greyhound bus stop. People can connect with Lextran at two of the bus stops in Lexington.

Fares are $5 one-way. This fare is a fixed rate that can be used to get from the first stop in Danville to the last stop in Lexington, and/or to go from different stops along the route. For example, people can go from Danville to a stop in Nicholasville for $5; or from Nicholasville to a stop in Lexington for $5.

However, some parts of the route are free. In Danville, the ride between Centre College and the Danville Downtown Transfer Stop is free. In Nicholasville, rides between the Nicholasville Downtown Transfer Stop, Walmart, and Brannon Crossing are free.

Danville residents can use Bluegrass RIDE’s free local service, Bluegrass RIDE Danville, to connect to the regional route at the downtown transfer stop. 

The bus schedule is the same Monday through Friday. The first stop of the day is at Centre College (Walnut St. and College St.) at 6:06 a.m., and gets to the Danville Downtown Transfer Station (Walnut St. and 3rd St.) at 6:08 a.m.

The last stop of the northbound bus is at the Lexington Greyhound Bus Stop on New Circle Road. The first bus of the day gets there by 8 a.m. The first southbound bus leaves that stop by 8:30 a.m.

The other three northbound busses leave the Danville Transfer Station at 8:06 a.m., 10:06 a.m., and 12:06 p.m. The full bus schedule can be found at bluegrassride.org/Home/Regional.

While there is no Saturday service from Danville, the Nicholasville route still goes on Saturday between the Nicholasville transfer stop, Walmart and Brannon Crossing. 

Riders can get detailed transit directions in Google Maps by entering their starting point and destination, then clicking on the transit icon. 

The Blue Grass Community Action Partnership already provides free public transit in Danville aboard Bluegrass RIDE Danville.  A similar free local service also launched in Nicholasville Feb. 19.

BGCAP Senior Director of Transportation Services Taylor Veatch said in a press release, “Our local routes in Danville have been a booming success. Now we want to offer Danville residents an affordable option for traveling to Lexington.”

All of Bluegrass RIDE’s routes are operated with brand-new, air conditioned vehicles.