Did You Know? Greene County Bus System Serves Cedarville University

By Marielle Payton

One of the worst feelings for a college student is knowing where you want to go but having no way of getting there.

Spontaneous late-night Walmart runs. Trips to Urgent Care. Going to a church far away. Texting friends to ask them for rides and hoping someone’s free. For many students who do not have cars on campus, looking for transportation is a familiar struggle.

“As a freshman and sophomore I had no transportation and had few friends who had cars, so I struggled to go from point A to B – especially when Sunday came around,” said Jayla Martin, a junior nursing major. “I couldn’t go to the church that I desired to go to and wasn’t able to be as independent as I would have liked. To me, campus shuttles are very important and allow for students to save gas money and have more freedom.”

What many students on campus do not know about is Greene CATS Public Transit, a small county public bus service that has been serving Greene County and beyond for just under 20 years.

Greene CATS has two primary services: Scheduled rides, which pick up and drop off at any location within Greene County with limited service to neighboring counties, and Flex Route Services, which circulate and link Beavercreek, Fairborn, Xenia and Yellow Springs. 

The bus runs Monday through Friday, 6am-10pm.. Reservations are required and can be placed via the phone. Fare is $4 to $8 dollars each way, so an example maximum cost for a round trip could be $16. 

This bus system also travels to the Greyhound Bus Station in Dayton and Dayton International Airport, making it a key resource for students needing rides to and from the airport for academic calendar breaks. 

The day before your trip, the bus line will call to confirm your trip details and pick-up time. Availability does fluctuate, and it is always good to have a backup plan, in case the bus is full. Buses stop at private residences, stopping by dorms or specified addresses.

Being on time is key with Greene CATS public transportation – the buses can not wait for long. For students who have already ridden on the bus to an airport for the first leg of the journey and are returning on delayed flights, the bus service promises to wait in order to fulfill the round trip.

A bus system like Greene CATS Public Transit could be a game-changer for so many students who are in the same situation as Martin. Instead of struggling to find rides, a reliable ride could just be a phone call away.  

For additional information: https://www.greenecountyohio.gov/253/Greene-CATS-Public-Transit

Marielle Payton is a junior Professional Writing and Information Design major, journalist and public relations writer from Northern Virginia. When she’s not studying, you can find her catching up on current news and politics or binge watching CBS crime shows.