Service Notices & Changes

COAST will place information on upcoming service notices and schedule changes on this page. Specifics on the changes will be listed under the effective date.

For current information on our services, including where the bus is in real time, short term stop closures/detours, or temporary service suspensions, please use the Passio Go app.

Delayed Start Notice for Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Due to the winter storm that is predicted to arrive later tonight and be in place through Wednesday morning and the potentially hazardous road conditions, the decision has been made to delay the start of all services on Wednesday, January 7, 2026. “The prediction of up to 0.3 inches of ice and freezing rain makes it appear like travel will potentially be very unsafe Wednesday morning. We feel this is the safest approach we could take for our staff and customers based on the predicted conditions,” stated Rad Nichols, Cooperative Alliance for Seacoast Transportation (COAST) Executive Director.

Based on the current forecast, COAST plans to open at 12:00pm on Wednesday. To follow are details on COAST’s opening plan.

• Route 1: 12:30pm northbound from the Dover Transportation Center
• Route 6: 3:25pm southbound from Farmington
• Route 12N: 12:30pm from the Dover Transportation Center
• Route 12S: 12:54pm from Lilac Mall
• Route 13N: 1:00pm from Hanover Station
• Route 13S: 12:30pm from the Dover Transportation Center
• Route 14N: 12:44pm from the Rochester Park & Ride
• Route 14S: 1:00pm from the Lilac Mall
• Route 33:  12:30pm outbound from the Dover Transportation Center
• Route 34: 12:17pm Inbound from Sumner Dr.
• Route 40: 12:00pm outbound from Hanover Station
• Route 41: 12:00pm outbound from Hanover Station
• Route 43: 12:00pm outbound from Hanover Station
• All demand response services will begin at 12:00pm. 

When COAST resumes service, expect delays as storm cleanup may still be affecting the roads and walkways.

Nichols commented further, “As always, when traveling after the storm, please be safe on your way to and from bus stops. Please do not wait for the bus on top of snowbanks. Find the nearest driveway opening; make sure you are visible to the bus operator and wave as the bus approaches. In low light conditions wave a lit cell phone or flashlight to make you more visible to the bus operator.” COAST recommends wearing bright clothing, having reflectors, and carrying a flashlight.

For updated information on COAST services, please tune in to area radio and television news outlets. COAST will also be using its website at www.coastbus.org and Facebook page at www.facebook.com/COASTbus to provide additional updates.

Service Changes Started Saturday, October 4, 2025 (updated on 10/8/25)

Beginning October 4, 2025, COAST made the following changes to our schedule:

• Discontinue Route 42
• Discontinue Route 100
• Adjust Route 40 to serve Great Bay Community College and the Pease Airline Terminal via New Hampshire Ave. 
• Discontinue the first AM run on Route 40
• Adjust Route 43 to no longer serve Atlantic Heights, Shattuck, or the Newington Town Hall. 
• Shorten service hours on Routes 12, 13, 14, 40, 41, 43, and 44, with all service ending by 8:15 pm.
• Adjust Route 33 Saturday service to mimic the weekday service routing.

Print schedules are on the buses, and PDF versions of the schedules are available on every route page. 

Why were these changes proposed?

As a nonprofit organization, COAST’s annual $7.5-8.5 million budget must be raised from a variety of sources. Historically, the federal government, through the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), congressional appropriations and one-time grants, has covered 60% of COAST’s operating costs. This year, 53% of COAST’s budget is coming from federal sources and that number is projected to continue to drop by another percentage point or two. 

Beginning in fiscal year 2024, COAST saw its funding from the FTA reduced by $341,980 annually because of changes in the calculations that determine apportionments and increased growth in urbanized areas nationwide that outpaced local growth and overall funding increases. 

“Over the past several years, COAST has been working to diversify our funding base to account for the shifting federal funding landscape. The communities we serve have increased their contributions, as has the State of New Hampshire,” said Rad Nichols, COAST Executive Director. “We are also working to expand our base of support among local businesses, individuals and foundations. However, this transition is taking time and these strategic service adjustments will ensure that we continue to meet our number one goal—to serve as many people as we can with the resources we have been entrusted with, while also ensuring our continued fiscal health.” 

The service adjustments were identified after reviewing ridership data across all COAST’s routes. The fixed routes and runs being impacted carry less than 5% of COAST’s estimated 400,000 annual ridership but cost $491,400 annually (FY25 projection). 

Since 1982, COAST has provided nearly 17 million rides to people in the Greater Seacoast region. By linking workers to jobs, patients to healthcare providers, customers to shopping and restaurants, audiences to cultural, recreational and social events, and students to school, COAST contributes an estimated $33M to the local economy each year. The transportation services they provide also serve as a lifeline for many people, an estimated 20-30% of which would not be able to make their trip without public transportation.  

“A strong transportation infrastructure that offers options for people at all stages of life is essential to our region’s ongoing economic and social health,” said Nichols. “Ultimately, the long-term sustainability of COAST rests on increased investment by businesses, individuals, and foundations that recognize the contributions public transportation makes to all our lives. COAST’s work to engage these stakeholders is very much ongoing.”

OCTOBER 1, 2025 Proposed Service Change Notice for Route 7 On Demand 

• service will be available anywhere in Exeter and Newmarket. Service will continue to be available around the Market Basket shopping plaza in Stratham. Rockingham County Aging & Disability Resource Center (formerly ServiceLink) will also be an eligible destination. Service will continue to be available on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 9:30 a.m.-5:15 p.m.
• Fares for the expanded service are proposed to be $3.00 each way.
• The number of trips each rider takes each month may be limited if demand exceeds available funding.
• The expanded flexible service is being funded by a generous grant from a local foundation and will continue until September 20, 2026. Continued service beyond September 2026 will be contingent on available funding.

• Public input sessions to learn more about these changes and provide feedback will be held as follows:

Service Curtailment Notice for Thursday, February 13, 2025 (posted at 2:35pm on 2/12/25)

Due to the winter storm that will arrive overnight and result in a snow with accumulating amounts of ice and rain afterwards, the decision has been made to curtail all service on Thursday, February 13. 

COAST plans to return to normal operations on Friday, February 14.