 Click to enlarge From Monday to Friday, the State Farm bus now runs until 10:24 p.m. instead of 11:24 p.m. Weekend hours have not changed.
State Farm is the last of the ten in-town AppalCART routes to be shortened. The new hours went into effect Jan. 17.
AppalCART’s operating budget lost $77,000 and other financial sources did not increase funding, Transportation Director Chris Turner said.
“We have had federal cutbacks before, but this is the first time we’ve had a cutback in this particular program,” Turner said.
Both federal and state government programs fund AppalCART, Finance Director Mike Norwood said. He added that cuts to the State Maintenance Assistance Program, which provides funding for transportation systems in urban areas, resulted in AppalCART’s “biggest hit.”
The new AppalCART shuttle hours will save money because they reduce fuel and mechanical costs, and shorten drivers’ and dispatchers’ work hours, Norwood said.
Turner said there is not typically a high demand for the State Farm shuttle after 6 p.m.
Students who need service to State Farm lot after AppalCART’s hours can use Safe Ride, which operates from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Story: ABBI PITTMAN, Intern News Reporter
Graphic: TAYLOR QUARTARARO, Web Graphic Designer
|
