A new fare-free bus service could soon be coming to Mebane.
Orange County Public Transportation is proposing a new route that would start in Hillsborough, loop through Mebane, and include stops at locations including Cone Health and Oak Manor Market.
The agency is offering to operate the service at no cost to passengers or the city of Mebane. Interim Transportation Services Director Sarah Williamson told the city council Monday the route would be tested for one year.
“We’d really be using this time to gather data, looking at the financial model of the cost of providing the service, the ridership, and also the federal and regional funding opportunities,” Williamson said.
Orange County is already piloting fare-free service on its existing fixed routes as a way to boost ridership.
A public hearing on the new proposed route is scheduled for next month.
