Fort Bend County Public Transit announced the start of its Richmond-Rosenberg bus service designed to provide residents with a convenient form of transportation to shopping, medical and service agencies.

The service, which was approved April 14 by the Fort Bend County Commissioners Court, is expected to begin this summer and will cost $1 per person for each ride. The transportation service will be provided 252 days of the year excluding county holidays and emergency closures, county officials said.

The new service will provide three different routes that will cover major areas of both Richmond and Rosenberg and provide residents with dependable transportation to local services. All busses or vans used for the service will be compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act standards.

"I am very excited about the new bus routes in Richmond and Rosenberg," Precinct 1 Commissioner Richard Morrison said. "It will be a great benefit to the citizens of Precinct 1."

The Richmond-Rosenberg bus service is what the county refers to as a Point Deviation Route Service—meaning busses operate along a fixed route and keep to a timetable but can deviate from the route to go to a specific location, such as a house, childcare center or employment site, said Donna Alexander, marketing specialist for Fort Bend County Public Transit. The bus or van returns to the fixed route once the pick up or drop off is made.

"Both the cities of Richmond and Rosenberg, along with the Fort Bend County Commissioners Court, worked many hours with the Fort Bend County Transportation Department to make sure the majority of residents can now benefit from a transportation service that has set times and stops but can still provide a somewhat customized service for the community," Alexander said.

Area residents are invited to learn about the service and voice their comments at a public meeting from 6-7:30 p.m. April 28 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, 1600 Avenue D, Rosenberg. The county is also accepting comments and feedback regarding its future bus service from residents that can be submitted via the transit department's website at www.fbctransit.org. Route maps and schedules are available on the website as well.