the RIDE to relocate AC Lakeside bus stop on Tuesday, May 16
Due to congestion in front of the store and our new, longer bus, the RIDE is relocating its stop for the AC Lakeside grocery store. The new stop, which will be used starting on Tuesday, May 16, now will be located on Katlian Street around the corner from the end of the store mall and Orion’s Sporting Goods.
the RIDE will be out of service on Memorial Day, May 29
Monday, May 29, is Memorial Day and the RIDE will be out of service so our employees and families can enjoy the holiday. We will return to service on Tuesday, May 30.
the RIDE adds new, longer bus to its fleet
Come take a ride on our new bus. Sitka’s the RIDE recently added a 36-foot, 24-passenger bus to its fleet, which also has more standing room than its previous largest bus. The new bus might be running today. Check it out.
the RIDE continues to run limited service right now
We are back in service, but right now we’re down to two lines instead of our usual three. The attached images show our two-line schedule. We hope to be back up to three lines soon. Please remember that masks are recommended. Please follow all bus driver requests, no eating or drinking on the buses, and we are running at 100-percent capacity after months of 50- and 75-percent capacity.
the RIDE seeks three new full-time, benefitted drivers
Are you looking for a full-time, fully benefitted job? Sitka’s the RIDE needs three new drivers to fill its staff. the RIDE runs from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and in normal times there are three routes. The starting wage has been increased to $18 per hour, and there is premium pay when Sitka’s Covid alert level is Moderate or above. The benefits package includes health insurance, paid sick and vacation leave, and a pension plan. A CDL is not required, but is preferred. This is a year-round position. In addition, the RIDE needs part-time on-call drivers. For more details, email jobs@sitkatribe-nsn.gov or call 907-747-3207.
Please check our Facebook page for route and weather updates
We don’t like it, but sometimes a bus breaks down, we get snow, or there is a construction project on one of our routes that impacts our schedule. Please watch our Facebook page for route updates. If there is a weather schedule/route change, it will be announced on our local radio stations before it shows up on Facebook or the website, or you can call the RIDE at 747-7103 for more details.
Find the RIDE on Apple Maps
Did you know you can now find the RIDE on Apple Maps? You can find schedules and route maps for the RIDE on Apple Maps. We’re helping keep you connected to public transit in Sitka.
Please keep bus loading zones and bus stops clear
In recent weeks there have been several drivers parking in the bus loading zone in the Crescent Harbor parking lot or at marked bus stops downtown. Please don’t do this, especially since the safety of our riders depends on us pulling the buses into these marked spots so riders can safely board or get off the buses. The Sitka Police Department does ticket vehicles parked in bus-loading zones/bus stops, as you can see in the photos from Crescent Harbor. There were at least seven vehicles ticketed the morning of Aug. 16, 2018.
At Crescent Harbor, the entire row of parking spaces next to Harbor Drive is designated as a bus loading zone from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on week days. Even one car next to the bathrooms can force our buses out into the driving lane. The only time you are allowed to park there is on weekends and holidays.
We also have several people parking in marked bus stops in front of the Sheet’ká Kwáan Naa Kahídi on Katlian Street or the framing shop on Lincoln Street. These spots are for buses only (not charter fishing vans). We need to get our bus completely out of the driving lane to pick up passengers, and it’s unsafe for our drivers to have to unload riders from the middle of the street.
Your help keeping these bus stops clear is greatly appreciated.
Find the RIDE on Google Maps
Want to know how long it takes to get from the ferry terminal to Whale Park with the RIDE? It takes 55 minutes, according to a search on Google Maps, http://goo.gl/nkjvzE. To enter a query, go to https://www.google.com/maps (or use the Google Maps app on your cellphone). In the upper left corner of the screen will be a blue diamond that says “Directions” when you click on it. After you click on it, look for the bus icon (third from the left, between the car and the walker) and click it. Then type where you are and where you need to go in the two lines beneath it. Easy peasy