The Lloyd4U Project has compelled the Metropolitan Evansville Mass Transit System (METS) to change an important bus route on Evansville’s East side.
The changes are on the Walnut Route, and were effective earlier this week. Passengers of the have also lost two bus stops, but according to METS, they weren’t frequently used.
This change is due to the Lloyd4U Project ending left turns from Vann Avenue onto the Lloyd Expressway.
Vann Ave is one of several intersections being modified. IN some cases lights will be removed completely, others will have hybrid or displaced left turns.
Todd Robertson, executive director for the Department of Transportation and Services, said changes or no changes, they need to keep their routes.
“We still need to try to maintain a time schedule to meet with the other routes in at the transfer station,” he said.
So they ran the computer software to plot an alternate route, which is posted on the METS website. They also had to test it first.
“We do our best to try to go through an exercise and drive those routes at peak hours and peak times of the day, to ensure that we are able to execute what we're planning.”
Prior to these changes, the Walnut Street route transported about 150 passengers per day.
The stops they’re losing are at North Congress Drive and Indiana Street, and Stockwell Road and Division Street.
Robertson said technically this is the only route directly affected by the Lloyd4U project, though changing traffic patterns could affect other routes.
That has more to do with congestion caused by drivers seeking alternate routes.
“People start seeing, noticing the traffic, people normally take different ways and deviations to and from work, and therefore they may also play a part into some delays, hopefully not.”
During construction, Robertson wants to remind patrons to be patient. The Lloyd4U project is expected to be complete in 2028.
The route change notice from the city:
Due to the left turn lane being eliminated at the intersection of Vann Ave and the Lloyd Expressway METS is altering the inbound Walnut Route.
Effective immediately the new inbound route exits Eastland Mall from E Virginia St. and turns right on N Green River Rd., right on E Sycamore St., right on S Congress Ave., left on John St., left on S Stockwell Rd., then left into Stepping Stone’s parking lot, right on John St., right on Congress Ave., right on Lincoln Ave., right on Vann Ave., left on E Walnut St., right on Fifth St., right on Vine St., then right into the Downtown Terminal.