Clarksville Transit System

{{Short description|Provider of mass transportation in Montgomery County, Tennessee}}

{{Infobox Bus transit

| name = Clarksville Transit System

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| founded = June 1, 1987{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/367725151/|title=People Supporting Transit System|date=December 1, 1987|newspaper=The Leaf-Chronicle|access-date=September 8, 2023}}

| headquarters = 430 Boillin Lane

| locale = Clarksville, TN and Oak Grove, KY

| service_area = Montgomery County, TN and Christian County, KY

| service_type = Bus service, paratransit

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| routes = 10

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| stations = CTS Transit Center

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| annual ridership= 687,534 (2019)

| website = [https://www.cityofclarksville.com/338/Clarksville-Transit-System Clarksville Transit System]

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Clarksville Transit System (CTS) is the primary provider of mass transportation in Clarksville, Tennessee with ten routes serving the region. As of 2019, the system provided 687,534 rides over 97,228 annual vehicle revenue hours with 18 buses and 11 paratransit vehicles.{{cite web|url=https://www.transit.dot.gov/sites/fta.dot.gov/files/transit_agency_profile_doc/2019/40092.pdf|title= Clarksville Transit System Agency Profile|access-date=September 2, 2023}}

History

Public transit in Clarksville began with horsecars in 1885, with the Clarksville Street Railway Co. In 1896, the horsecars were replaced with streetcars, which in turn were replaced by buses in 1928.{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagorailfan.com/aattn2.html|title=Transit Systems in Tennessee|access-date=September 2, 2023}} Numerous changes and improvements to the system took place in 2021. In March, CTS and Nashville State Community College teamed up to allow Nashville State students to ride for free.{{cite news|url=https://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2021/03/24/clarksville-transit-system-announces-nashville-state-students-ride-free/|title=Clarksville Transit System announces Nashville State students ride Free|date=March 24, 2021|newspaper=Clarksville Online|access-date=September 2, 2023}} In September, CTS made route information available on Google Maps,{{cite news|url=https://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2021/09/08/clarksville-transit-system-announces-route-information-now-available-on-google/|title=Clarksville Transit System announces route information now available on Google|date=September 8, 2021|newspaper=Clarksville Online|access-date=September 2, 2023}} and in December, CTS began offering mobile fares through Token Transit.{{cite news|url=https://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2021/12/29/clarksville-transit-system-announces-mobile-tickets-are-now-an-option-for-transit-riders/|title=Clarksville Transit System announces Mobile Tickets are now an option for Transit Riders|date=December 29, 2021|newspaper=Clarksville Online|access-date=September 2, 2023}} However, despite these improvements, Route 1000 was cancelled in early 2022 due to low ridership.{{cite news|url=https://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2022/01/25/clarksville-transit-system-to-cancel-route-1000/|title=Clarksville Transit System to cancel Route 1000|date=January 25, 2022|newspaper=Clarksville Online|access-date=September 2, 2023}}

Service

Clarksville Transit System operates eight regular weekday bus routes on a pulse system with all routes serving the CTS Transit Center either on the hour or half hour. These eight routes are augmented by two routes which only operate when Austin Peay State University is in session. Routes 1 and 2 travel across the state line to Kentucky.{{cite web|url=https://www.cityofclarksville.com/344/Routes|title=Routes|access-date=September 2, 2023}}

Hours of operation for the system are Monday through Friday from 4:40 A.M. to 8:50 P.M. and Saturday from 6:20 A.M. to 8:50 P.M. There is no service on Sundays. Regular fares are $1.50.{{cite web|url=https://www.cityofclarksville.com/DocumentCenter/View/3067/CTS-SystemMap_8-18-prf4|title=Transit Guide|access-date=September 2, 2023}}

=Routes=

Route 1 - Fort Campbell
Route 2 - Tiny Town Road
Route 3 - Cunningham Loop
Route 4 - Peachers Mill Rd
Route 5 - Hilldale
Route 6 - Madison Street
Route 7 - Governor Square Mall
Route 8 - 101 Express/Hospital
Route 900 - APSU South Loop (only when APSU is in session)
Route 901 - APSU North Loop (only when APSU is in session)

CTS Transit Center

The CTS Transit Center, located at 200 Legion Street, was opened April 4, 1992, at a cost of $881,000.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/467824071/|title=Ceremony Officially Opens City Bus Transfer Station|author=Terry Hollahan|date=April 4, 1992|newspaper=The Leaf-Chronicle|access-date=September 8, 2023}} The downtown facility serves as the primary transfer point of the system. It was designed by Rufus Johnson Associates and features an indoor waiting area, underground parking, and information desk.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/467369112/|title=Low Bidder for Station Claims Error|date=January 31, 1991|author=Jimmy Settle|newspaper=The Leaf-Chronicle|access-date=September 8, 2023}} As of 2021, CTS is looking to relocate the transit center to a different site downtown.{{cite news|url=https://www.theleafchronicle.com/story/news/local/clarksville/2021/10/29/cts-seeks-input-downtown-transit-center-relocation/6194054001/|title=CTS seeks input on downtown transit center relocation|date=October 29, 2021|newspaper=Leaf Chronicle|access-date=September 8, 2023}}

Fixed route ridership

The ridership statistics shown here are of fixed route services only and do not include demand response services.{{cite web | title=The National Transit Database (NTD) | url=https://www.transit.dot.gov/ntd/transit-agency-profiles/city-clarksville | access-date=September 2, 2023}}

{{#invoke:Chart | bar chart

| group 1 = 844851:703634:697104:663678:683107:660660:648536:587661:436734

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| group names = Annual ridership

| x legends =2013:2014:2015:2016:2017:2018:2019:2020:2021

| colors = #{{rcr|Metra|Rock Island}}

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