Travel back to and forth to Iowa City will be more convenient and less expensive for Quad Citians very soon. On the week of Aug. 17, River Bend Transit (RBT) will launch the QC•IC X-press, a new transportation service to Iowa City.
Tuesday through Friday, the “QC•IC X-press” will depart from a Park-and-Ride location at the northeast corner of NorthPark Mall parking lot in the morning and return in the afternoon. Buses will be equipped with free Wi-Fi, and passengers may be choose to be dropped off at the door of set destinations such as River Landing clinics, University of Iowa Hospitals and Medical Clinics, University of Iowa Dental Clinics, VA Hospital, the downtown “Pentacrest” transit hub for connections to all three Iowa City transit systems, or other destinations of choice in the Iowa City area. The service will be flexible in meeting rider needs: the bus will remain available to riders throughout the day for additional Iowa City area trips of choice, as time allows and at no additional charge.
Cost of the service is $12 per one-way trip ($24 round trip) for the General Public; $10 per one-way trip ($20 round trip) for Seniors (60+), Disabled, or Veterans. There is no reduced rate for children, however children five years-old and under ride at no charge with an adult.
Funding for this expansion is through an Iowa Clean Air Attainment Program (ICAAP) grant awarded to RBT in 2014. The award also enabled the agency to purchase three new buses for the route.
“We have seen demand for travel to Iowa City grow quite a bit over the past few years, mainly for people needing to go the medical hospitals and clinics. With this expansion of service, we are hoping to help meet not only medical transportation needs, but also provide an option for students, shoppers, and maybe even a commuter or two,” said Randy Zobrist, River Bend Transit’s executive director.
