New fixed routes for the public transportation service aTa Bus are expected to begin at the end of April in Junction City.

The director of aTa Bus, Anne Smith, said Monday the rides will cost $1 per ride, and if you are over 60, disabled, or low income you can apply for the 50-cent half-fair. Monthly passes with unlimited usage are $30, or if you qualify for half-fair $15.

Smith said 67-pecent of the community will be within one-fourth of a mile of a fixed route bus stop. Some locations for the bus stops include Wal Mart, Hormel, Foot Locker, Geary Community Hospital, Advanced Call Center Technologies, through the downtown area, and on 6th Street.”Every 30-minutes there’ll be a bus going either one direction or the other.” That will apply from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Smith added there will be “no Saturday or Sunday ( service ) to start out with.”

Smith said aTa Bus averages about 1,000 rides per month in Junction City, and between 500 and 700 rides per month on the inter-city shuttle between Manhattan, Junction City, and Ogden. Those rides are by appointment only at the present time.

Each of the new buses will need to be wrapped with the aTa bus logo.

The members of the Geary County Commission inspected the buses on Monday, and received a briefing.