Karl Baker

The News Journal

A weekday "circulator" bus route will launch Monday in Wilmington between the Riverfront, the city's train station and Rodney Square.

Rush-hour buses will leave from the Riverfront park and ride, near the Chase Center, every 15 minutes between 6 and 9 a.m., and 3 and 7 p.m, while off-peak buses will run every 30 minutes until 8:30 p.m.

The new route 49 is designed to connect parking lots on the Riverfront and near the train station with the city's employment base around Rodney Square, according to the Delaware Transit Corporation, or DART.

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Circulator routes, which are relatively short in distance and connect urban amenities, are common in large cities across the United States. Federal Transit Administration officials say the buses "provide a transportation option that ... fosters the redevelopment of urban spaces into walkable mixed use, high density environments."

The route will be similar to the Wilmington Trolley, which was discontinued one year ago due to low ridership.

Transit riders can also travel between the Riverfront and Downtown Wilmington on DART's route 12, a bus that links the Miller Road Shopping Center to the Chase Center.

Contact Karl Baker at (302) 324-2329 or kbaker@delawareonline.com. Follow him on Twitter @kbaker6.