Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Bus stops in Winchester might have shelters in the future.

The Winchester Board of Commissioners voted to begin the exploratory process on a shelter project Wednesday.

Tyler Burris from the Kentucky River Foothills Development Council, the organization that operates the local bus routes, pitched the project to the board.

When COVID-19 restrictions were in effect, only two to three people were allowed on the bus at a time. Burris said that opened his eyes to how long some passengers had to wait at the bus stop.

“Those people were having to wait another loop. So they were having to stay there, or they are going to have to go and come back,” he said.

Shelters would be a helping hand for those who have to wait.

“We can accommodate those people. They can have a little bench there and sit. They can be under shelter for the sun or rain,” Burris said.

The shelter could also have posted information about bus routes and schedules and provide advertising opportunities for local businesses.

Burris is in the process of writing a grant to pay for 25 shelters across routes in Berea, Richmond and Winchester. Eight of the shelters would be on Winchester routes.

Each shelter would cost $5,000-$7,000, but Burris said that grant would pay 80 percent of the cost. The remaining 20 percent would come from local funding.

Winchester Mayor Ed Burtner asked if the grant could cover building materials instead of the shelter. In that case, students from the Clark County Area Technology Center could build them.

Burris said that “it is a great idea” and that he would look into the possibility.

The development council has provided transportation to residents in need in Clark County and surrounding communities since 1986.

The bus makes a continuous 90-minute circuit of Winchester from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, excluding holidays.

A bus pass is required to ride and can be purchased on the vehicle or at the development council’s office in Richmond for $1. The bus pass is valid for an entire day.

Fire/EMS Promotion
Jacob Allen of the Winchester Fire/EMS Department was raised from the rank of major to lieutenant during the meeting.
Fire Chief Chris Whiteley praised the newly promoted Allen.
“Jacob has been performing the responsibilities of that rank as well as job performance disciplines within that rank in his current role as EMS major for the past 24 months. He’s been nothing but an asset to me and the department, and continues to do great work,” he said.

Street Closures
The board voted to close portions of Main St. from Lexington Ave. to Broadway St. for the 2022 Rock the Block Concert Series.
The closure will be from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on four different days: May 13, June 10, July 8 and Aug. 12.
The board also approved a request to close the Many Friends Parklet from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 16 for the Shop Hop event.