Pretzel City Area Transit

09/03/2026

We will be closed on Monday, September 7th for Labor Day. Normal operations will resume on September 8th. We hope that you enjoy your long weekend!

08/28/2026

We're out here with the Senior Resource Center ready to serve you up some pretzels! Come on out the Freeport Area Eats & Beats it's a beautiful night!

08/25/2026

We’re excited to be part of Eats & Beats! Because we’re Pretzel City Area Transit we obviously had to bring the pretzels! 😂🥨

Come out, grab a pretzel, enjoy the event, and help us keep Freeport moving!

📍 Come find us at Eats & Beats!
🎶 Good music
🍴 Good food
🥨 GREAT pretzels
🚌 And a great way to support your local transit system and all the other fantastic non-profits in our community!

We’ll see you there! 👋

There are so many great food options at Eats & Beats this year.

Pulled pork, corn dogs, walking tacos, pizza, lemon shake-ups, big pretzels....wow!

Remember: Every nonprofit group keeps 100% of the proceeds from their food sales, plus a share of the gate.

Eats and Beats takes place at the Freeport Art Museum Arts Plaza in downtown Freeport on August 28 and 29. The event runs from 5:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. each day. Admission is 4 dollars for adults and 2 dollars for ages 6 to 17. Children five and under are admitted free.

08/21/2026

One week to go! We hope to see you there!!

Mark your calendars!

Eats & Beats returns to the FAM Arts Plaza in downtown Freeport on August 28-29 for two nights of live music, great food, and community fun.

Local nonprofits will once again be cooking up crowd favorite dishes including pulled pork sandwiches, cotton candy, monster cookies, walking tacos, pizza, brats, snow cones, corn dogs, giant pretzels, lemonade shake ups, and much more!

Last year, nonprofit run booths at Eats & Beats raised more than $20,000 to support their missions.

Gates open at 5:00 p.m. each day. Admission: $4 for adults, $2 for ages 6–17, and kids 5 and under get in free.

08/20/2026

ATTENTION RIDERS:

There will be NO dispatcher in the office after 5:30pm today to answer the phones. Please leave a voicemail and we will return your call, if needed, tomorrow (8/21/26).

The drivers will still be working normal hours today.

We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience.

Pretzel City Area Transit Staff

08/10/2026

Need a ride to a medical appointment outside Stephenson County?
Adults 60+ can access medical transportation on a donation basis—with no fee currently required while funding is available.
📞 Call 815-235-9777 to schedule your ride.

07/30/2026

Fixed Route Pilot Program Update:

The City of Freeport and Pretzel City Area Transit (PCAT) want to provide an update regarding the launch of the Fixed Route Pilot Program.

Due to additional requirements and review from the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), the launch of the Fixed Route Pilot Program will be delayed from the originally announced August 3 launch date.

We understand that many community members have been looking forward to this new service, and we sincerely apologize for the delay. We are actively working with IDOT to address the remaining requirements and move the pilot forward as quickly as possible.

The Fixed Route Pilot Program represents an exciting opportunity to expand transportation options in Freeport, and we remain committed to bringing this service to the community. We will provide an updated launch date as soon as one is confirmed.

Thank you for your patience, understanding, and continued support as we work through this process. We look forward to getting you on board soon!

07/22/2026

We'll be out at the Stephenson County Fair today and tomorrow! Be one of the first to grab your fixed route map & schedule, submit your ideas for route names, and learn about how public transit can get you where you need to go throughout the county!

Hope to see you there!

07/21/2026

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Due to additional requirements and review from the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), the launch of the Fixed Route Pilot Program will be delayed from the originally announced August 3 launch date. We will share an updated launch date as soon as one is available.

🚍 A New Way to Ride is Coming to Freeport on August 3rd!

Pretzel City Area Transit and the City of Freeport are excited to announce the launch of our Fixed Route Pilot Program!

We're testing a scheduled bus route designed to make it easier to travel throughout Freeport with predictable stops and scheduled arrival times. Whether you're heading to work, school, shopping, medical appointments, or community destinations, this pilot will help us explore how a fixed-route system can better serve our community.

This pilot is more than just a new service—it's an opportunity for us to learn what works, what can be improved, and how public transportation can best meet the needs of Freeport and Stephenson County residents.

🚌 During the pilot, we encourage everyone to:
• Ride the new routes
• Try the scheduled service
• Share your experience and feedback
• Help shape the future of public transportation in Freeport

Your feedback will play a critical role in evaluating the pilot and determining how a future fixed-route system should operate.

📅 Pilot Launch Date: Monday, August 3rd, 2026

Together, we're taking an exciting step toward expanding transportation options and building a more connected community. During the pilot period, on-demand service within Freeport and the County will continue to be available Monday-Friday from 6am to midnight and Saturday 6am to 1pm. We hope you'll join us for the ride!

07/15/2026

After a stretch of hot and humid weather, temperatures across the upper Midwest/Great Lakes are leaning below normal. Full forecast in the comments below.