Apr 24, 2019 3 min read

Commuters planning to try a new bus connection Monday between Washington and the Mon Valley won’t be issued transfers from one transit provider to the other.

Those who are paying in cash should count on a one-way fare that will total at least $4.50.

“We are keeping the fares separate,” said Ashley Altemare, director of marketing and planning for Mid-Mon Valley Transit.

The one-way fare is $2.50 to ride from Washington to Monongahela and vice versa.

Local full fare on Mid-Mon Valley Transit is $2.

The Mid-Mon Valley and Washington Freedom Transit routes will intersect in Monongahela at two designated stops, the Monongahela Manor Senior Citizen High Rise apartment building, 401 W. Main St., and the parking lot of the Sheetz convenience store, 111 E. Main St.

Washington riders who will be heading to Monongahela will be able to connect with one of three different Mid-Mon Valley buses.

The route known as Valley 1 goes to New Eagle, Black Diamond, Donora, Monessen, Charleroi, North Charleroi, Rostraver shopping plazas and lower and North Belle Vernon.

Also available in Monongahela is the Mid-Mon Valley Commuter A bus line, which goes to Donora, Monessen, Charleroi, North Charleroi, Fisher Heights, New Eagle and Crookham for the same $2 fare.

All Mid-Mon Valley routes, including its commuter bus to and from Pittsburgh, go through Charleroi, which is the transfer point to go to California Borough and California University of Pennsylvania.

“Our transfers are free within our system,” Altemare said.

A rider will need to tell the driver on the first leg of the trip he or she needs a transfer.

On the way to Monongahela, the Washington bus will be servicing McMurray and Finleyville.

The new route, County Line B, will operate Monday through Friday with two trips into Washington from the Mon Valley and two trips back to the Mon Valley each day.

Departures from Monongahela to Washington are 7 a.m. and 1:15 p.m., and departures from Washington to Monongahela will be at 11:30 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. Planners at the Washington County Transportation Authority are allowing one hour and 20 minutes for the trips between the two cities.

Tanger Outlets and The Meadows Casino are among the multiple stops along the route.

Altemare said of the promotional efforts in which she participated along with Washington’s Freedom Transit, “Riders will certainly take advantage of it, at least to the casino.”

Along with the implementation of the new Mon Valley fixed-route bus service, changes have been made to the current County Line bus route that serves the Washington, Canonsburg and McDonald areas.

These changes include three trips to and from McDonald, the addition of Washington Walmart and Washington Health System on Landings Drive, and new stops times for Canonsburg and Washington locations.

The new County Line A & B schedules are available online at freedom-transit.org.