Sedona AZ (September 30, 2020) – Beginning October 1, 2020, the city of Cottonwood will expand its Verde Lynx public transit service, which connects Cottonwood and Sedona, to pre-pandemic levels. The new schedule will also provide more frequent and later night bus service tailored to the needs of Cottonwood residents who work in Sedona. The service will operate fare-free through December 2020.
According to Bruce Morrow, city of Cottonwood’s transit manager, “The schedule has been adjusted to accommodate Sedona’s tourism-based economy. The most frequent and longest hours of service will operate on Wednesday through Sunday when the most employees need to get to Sedona.”
The new schedule includes:
- Expanded service Wednesday through Sunday
- Buses every 45 minutes, 6 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
- First bus leaving Cottonwood Library at 6 a.m.
- Last bus leaving Uptown Sedona at 10:30 p.m.
- Monday and Tuesday
- Buses every 90 minutes throughout day
- First bus leaving Cottonwood Library at 6 a.m.
- Last bus leaving Uptown Sedona at 6:45 p.m.
Complete schedule information is available at www.ride-cat.com. Riders can also use Google Maps to get detailed transit directions, or download the RouteShout app for real-time bus arrival information.
Morrow said, “Now that employment in Sedona is returning to normal levels, we want to make sure that everyone has a high quality public transit option for commuting.” The Verde Lynx provides a quick trip from Cottonwood to Sedona – taking just over 30 minutes from the Cottonwood Library to Tlaquepaque. It offers stops at employment locations throughout West Sedona, Uptown and as far south as Paco Diablo Resort.
In Cottonwood, free parking and bikes racks are available at the Cottonwood Transfer Center. Riders can also transfer to the Cottonwood Area Transit (CAT) buses which run Monday through Friday 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. For riders arriving back in Cottonwood after 6 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday, CAT Connect After Hours Shuttle will meet each Verde Lynx bus and provide a ride to destinations in Cottonwood, Clarkdale and Verde Village.
Morrow also noted, “We want everyone to know that the service is safe. We’ve enhanced our cleaning protocols and require all employees and passengers to wear face coverings.”
Verde Lynx is operated by the city of Cottonwood. It is jointly funded by Cottonwood, Sedona and the Arizona Department of Transportation.
More information about Verde Lynx is available at www.ride-cat.com or by calling (928) 282-0938.