What we do Last updated or reviewed on March 21, 2023 Public Engagement Opportunity The City Transit Division needs your help identifying bus stops needing plexiglass replacement or that are missing bus stop ID signage. Please check out this survey link for more information, and to make a report. ART Overview ART (Asheville Rides Transit) provides bus service throughout the City of Asheville and to the Town of Black Mountain (see individual route schedules for exact times) from around 5:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Monday – Saturday and from 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. on Sunday and Holidays. Holiday Schedule (English) Holiday Schedule (Spanish) Holiday Schedule (Russian) All routes originate from the ART Transit Station, located at 49 Coxe Avenue in downtown Asheville (next to the U.S. Post Office). The ART Transit Station provides restrooms, indoor and outdoor seating and an on-duty information assistant until 9:30 p.m. The assistant can provide you with the latest maps and schedules; help you purchase single, monthly or annual passes; and answer questions that you may have about riding the bus in Asheville. Stay up to date on any service changes that may affect your travel plans by checking the Service Alerts page. To get notices via text or email about changes, sign up for iRide email alerts, or text “NextART” followed by the bus stop ID to 41411. Click here for information on Paratransit/ADA. The routes that serve UNC Asheville (N1) operate late service Fridays and Saturdays when UNCA is in session. Need to get to/from the Asheville Regional Airport? The S3 route can get you there. Regional Transit Study in Western North Carolina! The French Broad River Metropolitan Planning Organization (FBRMPO) works throughout Buncombe County, Haywood County, Henderson County, Madison County, and a small part of Transylvania County to meet the transportation needs of residents by coordinating with the public, NCDOT, Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), public transit agencies, and local governments to bring the regional vision and goals for transportation to fruition. Public transportation via bus/van services provides millions of trips per year for residents to access jobs, healthcare, and shopping as well as other services and destinations throughout Western North Carolina. These services are especially critical for residents with limited or no access to personal vehicles. Public transportation services are presently provided by different agencies within county lines but have limited options for cross-county trips. To help study the potential for providing cross-county public transportation in Western North Carolina, the FBRMPO recently completed a Regional Transit Feasibility Study (summary here) with Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, and Madison counties. In a growing region, access to employment and services across county boundaries will be critical for individuals, businesses, and the region as a whole. This study aims to develop recommendations for cross-county public transportation in the FBRMPO planning area by identifying potential routes and opportunities for coordination, developing funding strategies, and creating an implementation plan. If you have any questions, please contact Scott Adams with the FBRMPO (scott@landofsky.org). Get Involved Transit Committee The Transit Committee functions as an advisory board to the Multimodal Transportation Commission and to City staff on matters affecting the transit system and its operation. The Transit Committee meets the third Tuesday of every month from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The meetings are being held virtually at this time. Previously the meetings were held on the first floor of City Hall at 70 Court Plaza in the North Conference Room. All meetings are open to the public to attend and provide comments. Past meeting agendas can be found here. The Transit Committee consists of at least seven members and up to eleven members. All are appointed by the Multimodal Transportation Commission. The term of office is three years. Benefits include a free annual transit pass. Interested persons can apply here. For more information, please contact nhart@ashevillenc.gov. Drive with ART The City contracts with RATPDev to operate the transit system. RATPDev is currently accepting applications for bus drivers. You can apply to be a bus operator here. Benefits include: $20.78/hr pay during training Base $20.78 starting pay after training base and up to $25.08 $2,000 sign-on bonus Training to obtain Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Excellent benefits package For more information, contact LaShawn Abraham by email or at 828-782-3966. Bus Shelter Donations Different community groups have donated funds to pay for bus shelters and other transit amenities at high-ridership stops. Staff and riders greatly appreciate these partnerships! Recent partners include: Montford Neighborhood Association Montford & Bulldog shelter Rotary Club of Biltmore-Asheville Hendersonville Rd shelters Rotary Club of Arden Hendersonville Rd shelters Oasis Recovery Center/ Asheville Recovery Center CVS @ Merrimon shelter Asheville Housing Authority Livingston & Gaston shelter (in process) If you or an organization you work with are interested in helping improve transit amenities in the City of Asheville, please contact Katherine Ladnier for more information. For real-time information on your next bus, download Moovit, or dial 828-253-5691 and press 1. You can use your touch-tone telephone, mobile device (standard cell phone or smartphone), or web-enabled computer to see exactly where the bus is and when it will arrive at your stop. Connect Address 49 Coxe Avenue, Asheville, NC 28801 Mailing Address P.O. Box 7148, Asheville, NC 28801 Phone Number 828-259-5943 Email Address iride@ashevillenc.gov Emergency 828-253-5961 Business Hours (Monday - Friday)6 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.Business Hours (Saturday)7 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.Business Hours (Sundays & Holidays)8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. Related Services Transit Transit information including maps, schedules, fares, and service alerts Streets, sidewalks, lanes, and greenways closures map This map details active filings for street closures submitted to the City of Asheville Explore Related ServicesTransit News City of Asheville prepares for a weekend of winter weather Posted on February 10, 2023 by Kim Miller Cold temperatures and possible snow are headed this way over the weekend. The US National Weather Service currently forecasts snow developing across the southern Appalachians late Saturday into Sunday. Significant snow accumulations are possible, especially across the northern mountains and higher elevations above 3500 feet. Uncertainty remains regarding exact snowfall totals. As the National Weather Service [...] City of Asheville reminds community of resources to help houseless persons in severe weather conditions Posted on December 21, 2022 by Kim Miller Extreme cold temperatures are expected this weekend with wind chills below zero. Code Purple is now in effect and is expected to continue throughout the holiday weekend. The City of Asheville supports the Homeless Initiative Advisory Committee and Asheville-Buncombe Homeless Coalition’s City of Asheville announces winter holiday closings and ART bus holiday schedule Posted on December 19, 2022December 21, 2022 by Kim Miller City of Asheville offices will be closed Dec. 23, 26 and 27 in observance of the winter holiday break. City offices will also be closed Jan. 2. The following City services will be affected by the holiday closures. ART bus service Asheville Rides Transit (ART) holiday schedule will be as follows: Service will be closed after 6:30 p.m. December [...] Explore Transit News
Streets, sidewalks, lanes, and greenways closures map This map details active filings for street closures submitted to the City of Asheville
City of Asheville prepares for a weekend of winter weather Posted on February 10, 2023 by Kim Miller Cold temperatures and possible snow are headed this way over the weekend. The US National Weather Service currently forecasts snow developing across the southern Appalachians late Saturday into Sunday. Significant snow accumulations are possible, especially across the northern mountains and higher elevations above 3500 feet. Uncertainty remains regarding exact snowfall totals. As the National Weather Service [...]
City of Asheville reminds community of resources to help houseless persons in severe weather conditions Posted on December 21, 2022 by Kim Miller Extreme cold temperatures are expected this weekend with wind chills below zero. Code Purple is now in effect and is expected to continue throughout the holiday weekend. The City of Asheville supports the Homeless Initiative Advisory Committee and Asheville-Buncombe Homeless Coalition’s
City of Asheville announces winter holiday closings and ART bus holiday schedule Posted on December 19, 2022December 21, 2022 by Kim Miller City of Asheville offices will be closed Dec. 23, 26 and 27 in observance of the winter holiday break. City offices will also be closed Jan. 2. The following City services will be affected by the holiday closures. ART bus service Asheville Rides Transit (ART) holiday schedule will be as follows: Service will be closed after 6:30 p.m. December [...]