Buncombe Launches Trailblazer Bus Finder Powered by Google Transit

Planning a trip using public transit just got easier. Buncombe County Transportation and Mountain Mobility are proud to announce the launch of the Trailblazer Bus Finder powered by Google Transit at buncombecounty.org/mm. The process is simple. Fill in the requested information (starting address, destination, travel date, travel time) and Google will determine your best Trailblazer trip. You can plan your trip from your computer, tablet, or smart phone.

The Trailblazer Bus Finder helps current riders to plan their route with arrival times in mind, new riders to eliminate guesswork, and employers to know what transit routes are available when hiring. Additionally, real-time information from multiple transit systems allows riders to plan trips that take them beyond Buncombe County Trailblazer service areas into those areas served by other transit systems in the region, including the City of Asheville’s ART system and Henderson County’s Apple Country Public Transit system. For example, a rider can now find a route from Black Mountain to Hendersonville using public transit.

“Buncombe County is committed to improving Mountain Mobility service, including using technology to give citizens access to the best information available for planning their public transportation trips on our Trailblazer Routes,” said Buncombe County Planner, Matthew Cable. “Integrating our Trailblazer data onto a shared platform used by transit systems in the region is a tremendous opportunity to improve access to public transportation information and to allow citizens to plan trips that include transfers between systems.” County Planning and Development Staff, in concert with Buncombe County Information Technology Staff, began developing Trailblazer route data in a Google Transit acceptable format in late 2017.

Trailblazer background

• Buses are open to the public.
• Buses are fare free.
• Customers can flag down the bus anywhere along the route or wait at one of its preset locations on the schedule.
• Customers can get off the bus anywhere along the route or connect with ART or Haywood Public Transit.
• Each vehicle is lift-equipped and mobility device/wheelchair accessible.
• Each Trailblazer follows the route shown on the schedule, but the vehicle may deviate off the regular route by one-quarter mile to pick a customer up from an address if the customer is unable to get to the route. If you live within one quarter of a mile of the route and want to request a pick up, please call (828) 250-6750, Option 1, by 5 p.m. the day before to request a deviation.

Related Story: Mountain Mobility Trailblazer Routes Are Now Free

The example shown below would allow a resident to travel from downtown Weaverville (at a Trailblazer preset location at the Weaverville Library) to Reuters Mission Children’s Hospital. This scheduling is based on an arrival time for a doctor’s appointment in South Asheville, to illustrate how an individual that lived near downtown Weaverville might use the Trailblazer in combination with ART to arrive on time for an important appointment.