Chillicothe Transit Adds Three Electric Vans for Curb-to-Curb Demand Response Rides

Chillicothe Transit has added three new electric vans to its fleet, the City of Chillicothe said, in a modernization step that puts battery-electric vehicles to work on the system’s curb-to-curb rides for passengers who book trips in advance, the Scioto Valley Guardian reported from the city’s announcement.

The vans — and the charging infrastructure needed to keep them running — were purchased with a Low or No Emission Grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation, according to the city. The federal Low or No Emission program, administered through state transportation departments including ODOT, helps transit systems replace aging diesel buses and vans with battery-electric and other low-emission vehicles, with the stated goals of improving local air quality, lowering long-term maintenance costs and supporting charging and fueling facilities, the Guardian reported.

The new vans are ADA compliant and equipped with wheelchair lifts, the city said. They will be put to work in Chillicothe Transit’s Demand Response program, which provides curb-to-curb rides for riders who schedule trips in advance rather than following a fixed route — the part of the system many older riders and riders with disabilities rely on for medical trips, work and errands.

Chillicothe Transit operates the city’s public bus and demand-response services, including the Chillicothe Trolley and fixed-route buses serving stops throughout the city. The system has rolled out other changes this year, including added stops on its Western Avenue route and seasonal trolley schedule adjustments, the Guardian reported.

The vans arrive in a busy week for the system. Chillicothe Transit’s Western Avenue route adds three stops starting Monday, November 16 — at Delano Avenue and Arch Street, at Fairway Apartments, and at Fifth and Walnut streets for Tiffin Towers residents — using time already built into the route’s schedule, the transit system announced, as reported by J News Network. All Chillicothe Transit services remain fare-free, with routes beginning and ending at the transit hub at 575 East Seventh Street, according to J News Network.

City officials said the addition of the electric vans and their charging equipment represents a step toward more reliable and more sustainable transportation options for riders, according to the Guardian’s report of the announcement. What happens next is the rollout itself: the three vans enter Demand Response service in Chillicothe, giving the city’s scheduled-ride program a newer, cleaner fleet. Details in this report are from the City of Chillicothe, as reported by the Scioto Valley Guardian.