HUNTINGTON -- A new bus service connecting Huntington and Charleston will begin Monday, Jan. 5, according to a news release.

The weekday-only service, called Intelligent Transit, will leave Pullman Square at 6:40 a.m. and arrive at the State Capitol at 8 a.m., making stops in Barboursville and Putnam County along the way. The return service will leave Charleston at 5:15 p.m. and make its last stop in Huntington at 6:45 p.m.

Fares are $3 one way, or $6 round trip. Riders in Putnam County can pay $2 for service from the Crooked Creek Park-and-Ride to either Huntington or Charleston. Value cards also are available in $30 and $40 denominations.

The service is a joint effort between the West Virginia Division of Public Transit, The Tri-State Transit Authority in Huntington and the Kanawha Valley Regional Transportation Authority in Charleston.

Vicki Shaffer, president and chief executive officer of the Tri-State Transit Authority, told The Herald-Dispatch when the service was announced in August that the bus service is traveling from Huntington to Charleston because traffic data suggested more commuters travel to Charleston for work.

The service is specifically designed for the business or college commuter and complete with handicap accessibility, bike racks, WiFi connectivity and complimentary newspapers, according to the news release.

The service is free during the first week it is offered.

A federal grant will pay 100 percent of the cost for a bus route between Huntington and Charleston the first year. There will be a matching requirement for the next two years, with the federal grant paying 80 percent of the costs and the state paying the rest.

The funds are through the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program, which is overseen by the U.S Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration.

For more information about the bus schedule and routes, call 304-343-7586 in Charleston or 304-529-7433 in Huntington, or go to www.ridesmartwv.com.

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