RIDES Mass Transit District - Keeping Southern Illinois Moving - Serving Southeast Illinois with safe, dependable mass transit.

Pope and Hardin Counties were without public transportation for about 30 years after a major bus line stopped serving the area in the 1940's. In 1976 the Golden Circle Senior Citizen Center was awarded a two year demonstration program to provide transportation in Pope and Hardin Counties. In April 1977 Rides (then standing for Rural Initiative Development of Effective Services) began operation with four 15-passenger vans in Pope and Hardin Counties.

Under a purchase of Service agreement with Golden Circle Nutrition Programs, Rides established a route in each county to bring people to nutrition centers, and to deliver meals to the homebound.

Rides 1977

Today you should not be suprised where you may see one of Rides buses. With routes connecting fifteen southeastern Illinois counties and a river taxi service connecting people in river towns along the Ohio and special service medical services, the Rides service may be seen anywhere.

We are proud to serve the southern Illinois area with comfortable, clean, convenient and cost effective public transportation.

Rides Today

1977-1978	Awarded Section 147 Research & Development Grant.
1980	Rides Expanded Into Gallatin & Saline County Receiving Section 18 Funding.
1989	Rides Expanded Its Services To include White County.
1990	Rides Formed The First Rural Mass Transit District In Illinois, RMTD.
1994	Rides begins Providing A Limited Service In Hamilton County.
1997	Wayne & Hamilton Counties Joined The District.
1998	Edwards & Wabash Counties Joined The District.
2000	Rides Mass Transit District was presented the Transit System of the Year Award from the CTAA, Community Transportation Association of America in Fort Lauderdale, FL during EXPO 2000
2001	August: Shawnee Queen River Taxi began operations as part of the Rides Mass Transit District.
2002	September: RMTD's 1st CEO retires after 25 years
	October: Bill Jung assumes CEO position.
	October: RMTD Administration Offices relocate to Harrisburg, Illinois.
2005	May: Rides Mass Transit District is 1 of 5 national transportation systems to win the United We Ride Leadership Award in St Louis, MO at the Community Transportation Association of Amercia’s Expo 2005. View
2005	Lawrence & Richland Counties Joined The District
2006	Crawford County Joined The District
2007	Jasper County Joined The District
2007	Williamson County Joined The District
2009	Cumberland County Joined The District