Holiday events downtown begin this weekend

CityBus is a great way to go downtown for holiday events this weekend.

The 11th Annual Downtown Lafayette-West Lafayette Holiday Open House will be held from 10 am to 9 pm Friday, November 13th, and 10 am to 5 pm Saturday, November 14th.

On Friday evening, Greater Lafayette Commerce will sponsor holiday luminaries that will be displayed in downtown Lafayette-West Lafayette. Also, on Friday evening, the organization will sponsor free carriage rides provided by Moore Sisters’ Carriage Rides from 6-9 pm in Downtown Lafayette.

On Saturday, several vendors from the Lafayette Farmers Market will sell at a Holiday Market on Fifth Street between Main and Columbia Streets from 8 am to 12 noon. Items available will include honey, kettle corn, jams, jellies, baked goods, applesauce, and holiday items.

Trolleys, regular route buses, and route 18 NightRider all serve the downtown area.

For more information about downtown events, please contact Greater Lafayette Commerce at 765/742-4044 or Jane Ness at jness@GreaterLafayetteCommerce.com. For help planning a trip on CityBus, call 742-RIDE or click http://www.gocitybus.com/.

Travel training new at CityBus

CityBus's travel trainer is featured on WLFI's "Living Green" segment. Katy teaches people how to make the most of public transportation. Check her out at:

http://www.wlfi.com/subindex/living_green

Improvements coming for route 3B/5

Riders frustrated by late buses on one West Lafayette CityBus route will be pleased to know that the bus company is making improvements. Schedules for routes 3B Northwestern and 5 Happy Hollow will change beginning Monday, November 16. The problems began when the two routes were linked together, which CityBus did in August to reduce costs; three buses alternate between the two routes. While buses must often hold for time along route 5, route 3B has been running ten to fifteen minutes late on average.

The new schedule gives more time to the 3B Northwestern leg of the route, by allowing route 5 to depart earlier from Williamsburg on the Wabash Apartments on N. River Rd. Riders boarding in this area will need to be at their stops ten minutes earlier than the current scheduled time. Buses will depart on the hour, and at :30 minutes after each hour of operation.

Departure times for other locations along both routes will change to more closely match the actual departure times that have been operated since August.

CityBus will closely watch the operation, and may make other changes if needed. Updated schedules are available in print and online here:

• New 3B Northwestern Schedule
• New 5 Happy Hollow Schedule

First St. closing on campus, trolley to detour

The university will close First St. between MacArthur and N. Martin Jischke beginning Thursday, October 22nd.

Trolleys will detour as follows: MacArthur to right on Third, right on N. Martin Jischke, resume route at First St.

This detour will be in effect for a one year period. CityBus regrets any inconvenience this detour causes for our riders.

CityBus hires Dietrich for outreach

Katy Dietrich has joined the staff of CityBus as public relations and outreach coordinator. She is available for offsite presentations, group tours at CityBus and individual travel training for those needing help learning to use public transportation. She also will represent CityBus at community events, fairs and festivals.

Dietrich is a graduate of Fountain Central High School in Veedersburg and attended Purdue University for two years. She previously worked in hospitality and event planning.

She’s a frequent CityBus rider—she doesn’t even own a car. “I firmly believe in public transportation and, specifically, in CityBus,” Dietrich says. “It’s a great system, and I want other people to believe in it, too.”

She may be reached at 420-2957, katy@gocitybus.com.

Purdue's October Break

October Break is next week, with no Purdue classes on Monday and Tuesday. Campus Loops will not operate and several other changes will be in effect:

• Campus Loop buses will not operate from 6PM Friday, October 9, through Tuesday, October 13.

• There will be no nightime Gold Loop, Tower Acres, Black Loop, or NightRider during this time.

• Route 4B Purdue West/Downtown will serve Purdue Village when inbound.

• Route 8 Klondike Express will not operate.

Octoberfest Detours

^{Main St. between 6th and 11th streets will be closed Saturday, October 3rd for Octoberfest. Trolleys and buses will need to detour around the event. Buses will detour as follows:}

• 1A Market Square, evening inbound route, use Ferry St. instead of Main.
• 3A Lafayette Square, use Columbia instead of Main.
• Wabash Trolley, follow 11th to left on Ferry, left on 3rd, resume route at Main.
• 18 NightRider will turn left at 6th St. from South St. and resume route at Main.