Intercity Transit riders will have a little help getting in a holiday mood once again this year when the Jingle Bus comes to town. From the day after Thanksgiving until Friday, December 30, commuters will ride for free on a rotating schedule of 19 fixed routes.
“When people get on, it’s completely free,” says Intercity Transit’s marketing and communications representative, Ally McPherson. “The fare box is covered. You never know if it’s going to be on your route that day or not. People get really excited about it when it comes around. It’s our way of supporting the local economy and thanking our riders.”
Riders can recognize the bus by its decorations: a huge vinyl bow from Capitol City Press adorns the outside, while the inside is festooned with garlands and a box of candy canes with a sign that says ‘take one.’
“The drivers make sure that box is filled up with candy canes before they go out on their route,” says McPherson.
The tradition began in the 1980s, when several Intercity Transit drivers started wearing Santa hats and giving out candy canes during the holiday season. The company needed to decorate a bus for a holiday parade, and that bus eventually became the Jingle Bus.
Not everyone knows about the bus, and it comes as a welcome surprise. “Some are confused if they haven’t seen it before,” says operator Lori Chambers. “When they learn about it they typically get excited. It’s uplifting and people are happy and surprised.”
Those that do know about the Intercity Transit Jingle Bus eagerly await its return, according to operator Margaret Joy (MJ). “People actually look forward to the Jingle Bus. It gets them in a holiday spirit and they often ask me what route it’s going to be on that day. I try to find out ahead of time what route it’s going to be on so I can give people that information.”
It’s not uncommon for riders to sing holiday songs, Joy says. “It puts them in a festive mood.”
Although some Intercity Transit drivers want to sign up to drive the Jingle Bus, the route is random. “It’s all based on luck and the route they’re scheduled to take,” says McPherson. The bus covers 19 fixed routes, but no Express routes or the Dash. In order to navigate different types of neighborhood configurations, the company uses one of its smaller buses, a 35-foot coach. “We have to make sure it can rotate through all of our routes,” she says.
Intercity Transit riders, keep your eyes peeled for the bus with the big red bow. It will be coming soon to a neighborhood near you.
For more information about Intercity Transit, visit www.intercitytransit.com or call 360-786-1881.
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