FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:    Jeff Shuler, Lee County Transit
                (941) 277-5012, ext. 2223

FORT MYERS, Fla. (December 6, 2001) – LeeTran’s completely new and improved route system goes into effect on Dec. 13 and will provide more direct travel to the most popular destinations, increased frequency on heaviest used routes and improved overall system efficiency.

The changes are part of a new Transit Development Plan adopted by the Board of Lee County Commissioners last summer. The TDP was developed by the University of South Florida’s Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) to optimize the effectiveness of the system and allocate resources to high-demand areas.

As part of the introduction to the new route system, LeeTran is allowing free rides all day, everyday, from Thursday, Dec. 13 through Sunday, Dec. 16. Free rides will allow current riders to get used to the changes and give people who have not ridden LeeTran a chance to see how easy, clean and convenient the bus service is with no out-of-pocket expense.

Every route has changed in some way. One new route, Route 15, has been added, many routes have been completely revamped and the rest have schedule changes. To view a system map of the new routes and detailed descriptions of each route, visit LeeTran’s web page at http://www.rideleetran.com/RoutesSchedules.htm.

The biggest improvement to the system comes in the more urbanized areas. The new Route 15 gives residents in the City of Fort Myers another choice, along with Routes 10 and 20, of getting around. It runs from the Tice area to Downtown via Michigan Ave., and continues to Edison Mall via Broadway Ave. Only Routes 10 and 20 previously served this area.

Service will now be more frequent along U.S. 41, averaging a bus almost every 10 minutes between downtown Fort Myers and Bell Tower. To increase service in this heavily used area, Route 100, which used to run from Riverdale to downtown Fort Myers, was extended to run along Cleveland Avenue to Bell Tower.

Another major improvement is enhanced service between Cape Coral and Edison Mall. Route 120 has been streamlined to run from downtown Cape Coral along Del Prado Boulevard, over the Midpoint Bridge and into Edison Mall. This is an example of making travel more direct between major travel centers. With the completion of LeeTran’s new Cape Coral Transfer Center in the spring, commuters will have a 57-car Park & Ride facility at their disposal. They can be over the bridge and to Edison Mall quickly and easily, saving money in tolls, wear and tear on their vehicles and create less air pollution.

LeeTran ridership has increased more than 70 percent during the last five years, topping 2.3 million riders last year. With the service enhancement to be introduced on Dec. 13, LeeTran is looking to build on this positive momentum by increasing ridership even more and growing with the community.