From online reports

Rockford Mass Transit District (RMTD) recently announced ridership increased for the fourth consecutive fiscal year, reaching among the highest levels in almost two decades.

About 1.8 million riders were served in the past fiscal year, which ran July-June. The increase represents the busiest year for service since 1991, and amounts to about a 6 percent rise in ridership from the previous year.

Increasing fuel prices are thought to be the main reason for the increase.

In May, RMTD increased the fare, leading to a slight dip in ridership. However, numbers have since rebounded.

RMTD fixed route fare structure is as follows:

Cash fare

Adult single ride, $1.50; student, 75 cents; children younger than 5, free; disabled not enrolled in Circuit Breaker program, 75 cents; disabled enrolled in Circuit Breaker, free; seniors older than 65, free; and transfers, free.

Ticket fare

Adult 10-ride, $15; student, $7.50; disabled, $7.50; full fare single ride, $1.50; and half fare single ride, 75 cents.

Passes

30-Day Unlimited Ride, $55; 7-Day Unlimited Ride, $16; Zone Fare to Cherry Valley, 25 cents.

Paratransit

Paratransit one-way fare, $3.

Following are route schedules, as listed on RMTD’s Web site, www.rmtd.org ^[1]:

These routes are effective July 1, 2007. Below are some of the highlights of each route. Click on the route name to see a map of the day route. Night routes can be viewed on RMTD’s Web site.

Big Loop North ^[2] and South ^[3]: The Big Loop route is a bi-directional route that sweeps the RMTD service area. As one bus leaves the downtown Transfer Center to head North (Big Loop North), another bus heads out South to travel the same route, only in the opposite direction. The Big Loop routes provide the backbone to our system. All other routes connect at some point along the way to the Big Loops, making transferring to a connecting route easier and more efficient.

West State ^[4]: West State services Concord Commons, Crusader Clinic and Farm & Fleet. It runs every 45 minutes Monday-Saturday.

School Street ^[5]: services Fairgrounds Housing, Auburn High School, Auburn Street IGA, and Public Aid every 30 minutes.

Huffman ^[6]: Services Court Street, Ridge Street and Wal-Mart every hour. The Huffman route will also service The Barbara Olsen School of Hope at 7:45 a.m. and 3:17 p.m.

North Main ^[7]: Services Cumberland Avenue, Northe Towne Mall, River Bluff Nursing Home, Hilander, Singer, North Rock Industrial Park and Juvenile Detention Center.

Clifton ^[8]: Services the Montague Public Library branch, Klehm Arboretum and the Booker Washington Center.

Kilburn ^[9]: services Collier Gardens and Rockford Health System.

South Main ^[10]: Services South Main IGA, South Rock Industrial Park, UPS and the Greater Rockford Airport every hour. Does not run on Saturdays.

East State Street ^[11]: Services both SwedishAmerican Hospital and OSF/St. Anthony health facilities, Midvale Residences, Forest Plaza, Mulford Village, Clock Tower, Greyhound, the Center for Sight and Hearing, and Target, to name a few. This route runs every half hour from the downtown Transfer Center.

Charles Street ^[12]: Services SwedishAmerican Hospital, Logli’s, Colonial Village, Buckbee Apartments and Flynn Middle School.

Rural Street ^[13]: Services Park Terrace apartments, the YMCA and Hilander every hour. It also connects up with the Alpine Crosstown route and the East State Street route at Lynmar and Morsay Drive.

Seventh Street ^[14]: Services Ken Rock, Job Services, Mobility Connection and Sandy Hollow Kmart.

Kishwaukee ^[15]: Services Brewington Oaks, Sandy Hollow Kmart and the Research Park Industrial area.

Alpine Crosstown ^[16]: This route runs the length of Alpine, north and south. Originating at RVC/Jefferson High School campus on Samuelson Road, this route services Colonial Village, East Rock Industrial Park, the Post Office Main Branch, Brookside Medical, Edgebrook Shopping Center, Luke’s Mobile Home, Logli’s, and the 173 Target, Home Depot, which is a transfer point to the North Second route. This route will also service Growth Enterprises at 8:05 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Alpine Crosstown Express ^[17]: This route provides early-morning, open-door, express service to Colonial Village via State Street. It also provides express service via East State, back to the Transfer Center at 4:50 p.m. and 5:50 p.m. Express service is also provided from downtown to State and Lynmar at driver shift change at 12:35 p.m. Passengers are invited to ride on these buses.

North Second Street ^[18]: Services Loves Park and Machesney Park along the North Second Street Corridor. The route provides service to the 173 corridor, connecting with the Alpine Crosstown route and also provides service to Machesney Park Mall. It, too, provides service to Growth Enterprises at 8:05 a.m. and again at 3:05 p.m., Monday-Friday.

North Second Street Express ^[19]: This route provides service along the North Second Street corridor at the start of the route, and at the end of the route. During the day, when the driver’s shift changes, service for the changeover will be provided in a bus, down North Second Street and will change over at Target on Route 173.

Downtown Growth Enterprises Express ^[20]: This is an express service to Growth Enterprises in Loves Park, leaving from downtown. This is open-door service that runs twice a day, in the morning, leaving at 7:45 a.m. and in the afternoon leaving downtown at 2:45 p.m.

For more information, visit www.rmtd.org ^[1] or call (815) 961-9000.