Effective on Monday, Oct. 25, the Town of Fountain Hills will be part of a new Valley Metro bus route with service access into downtown Phoenix.

The existing route along Shea Blvd. through Scottsdale is being discontinued. The new route will use the Beeline Highway (SR 87) to Gilbert Road and south to the Park and Ride location at McDowell Road (Loop 202/Red Mountain Freeway). From that location riders would have access to express service into Phoenix or other routes to the light rail station farther south on Gilbert, or other bus routes into Mesa and Tempe.

One big change for the new route is that it will offer two departures and returns to Fountain Hills. The bus will depart the Fountain Hills Park and Ride at the library on La Montana Drive at 6:04 and 7:04 a.m. each weekday with return trips arriving in Fountain Hills at 5:27 and 6:41 p.m.

Town of Fountain Hills Director of Administration Dave Trimble told the council on Sept. 21 that planners are projecting a ridership of around 33 for the new route. That compares with six who use the existing route out of Fountain Hills.

Trimble said the new route would reduce the amount of time it takes to get into downtown Phoenix from Fountain Hills.