Provided by the Gulf Coast Transit District
The Gulf Coast Transit District partnered with Galveston Island Transit to launch a new bus route connecting Galveston to the mainland, called The Splash.
“We saw a great need for transportation services to connect the mainland to Galveston,” said spokesperson for the Gulf Coast Transit District Timmy Sykes.
The bus route, which began running Monday, transports passengers between the Gulf Coast Transit District terminal at 1415 33 St. N. in Texas City and the Galveston Island Transit terminal at 2418 Strand St. in Galveston.
Previously, riders who needed to travel between the mainland and Galveston could use Park and Ride, a bus route that gets passengers from League City and Texas City to Galveston through a partnership with UTMB and the Gulf Coast Transit District.
Sykes said The Splash could help some passengers get a more direct ride back to the mainland.
“Sometimes they would have to ride all the way to League City and then back to Texas City before [Park and Ride] comes back to the terminal. They don’t have to do that anymore,” Sykes said.
The Splash route operates Monday through Saturday every hour from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. According to the Galveston Island Transit website, one-way tickets cost $1 for general riders and 50 cents for seniors over 65 years old, people with disabilities and students.
Bus transfers through The Splash route are free with a scheduled micro-transfer trip.
“When you ride the bus from Texas City to Galveston, if you’re going to be getting on a connector bus in Galveston through Island Transit, we give you a transfer, and you get to use that transfer to get to your final destination,” Sykes said.
Sykes said he predicts 150 or more passengers to ride the new bus route every day as it is popularized throughout the community. Sykes said passengers don’t need to schedule rides on The Splash route; they can just show up at one of the terminals to pay and ride.
“My hope is that we can provide a safe, economical and affordable public transportation service to get people where they need to be and get them there safely and on time,” Sykes said.
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