Future transit improvements are being studied as part of Greenlink’s 2026 Transit Development Plan.
The planning document will outline strategies for enhancing the public transit system’s services over the next five years. Greenlink’s current Transit Development Plan was adopted in 2018 and updated in 2021.
“The transit development plan is our roadmap,” said Katerina Moreland, transit finance and compliance administrator for Greenlink. “It defines our goals, objectives and our next steps as we look to continue to improve our system across all of the greater Greenville area.”
Greenlink kicked off the planning process at the beginning of the year with consultants from Montreal-based engineering firm WSP. Initial public input was collected from a community survey and a 70-person focus group.
Potential bus route improvements have been identified in five areas within Greenlink’s transit network, based on collected community input and data analysis. The proposed changes were presented at six public meetings held June 1-3. Community members are invited to complete an online survey to provide additional feedback on the recommendations.
Bus improvement areas
Changes have been proposed to Greenlink’s bus routes serving the Woodruff Road and Mauldin areas. A new route is recommended to provide public transportation to Bridgeway Station and the new GE Vernova Park in Mauldin. Greenlink is also exploring extending service coverage further down Woodruff Road with a new route to reach the Walmart Supercenter, Aldi and Publix.
“We want to get people to places where they work, go to school, get food or access healthcare,” said Andrea Gray, public engagement manager for Greenlink. “We’re trying to make sure people can get around our city in a very efficient way.”
Another proposed improvement would be extending Route 509: Haywood along Pelham Road to the Walmart Supercenter in Greenlink’s East Greenville service area. The public transit system is also considering updating Route 505: Rutherford to provide more services along Pleasantburg Drive and extend to the Greenville State Farmers Market.
One of Greenlink’s loop routes, Route 506: Woodside, is recommended to be split into two routes to provide more efficient service to Berea. Transit users would be able to ride the bus on either the Cedar Lane Road or Old Buncombe Road routes from downtown Greenville to Food Lion in Berea. The proposed route along Old Buncombe Road would also provide service coverage to Heritage Green on College Street.
Greenlink has proposed extending Route 503: Poinsett farther north to downtown Travelers Rest and the Prisma Health North Greenville Hospital. Gray said the updated route would provide service to the Walmart Supercenter in Travelers Rest, which was a request made by students at Furman University.
The final recommendation involves splitting Route 504: Anderson into two separate routes running to the southwest area of Greenville. The route change would add more bus service along White Horse Road, reducing the need for transit users to cross the busy road. Gray said bus service would also be added back for the Staunton Bridge neighborhood.
Next steps
Greenlink and its consultants plan to examine the financial feasibility of the proposed bus route changes presented at public meetings. Moreland said this will determine how much funding it would take to implement changes in coming years.
The recommended transit improvements will be further refined based on these findings and public comments. A draft version of Greenlink’s 2026 Transit Development Plan will be developed over the summer with updated recommendations. Greenlink staff expect to create the final planning document in fall.
For more information, visit https://www.greenvillesc.gov/2738/Greenlink-2026-Transit-Development-Plan.
