AppalCART sees million plus passenger trips in 2008

AppalCART, the local public transportation authority serving Watauga County, reported a 14 percent increase

in calendar year ridership, setting a new record of 1,112,948 passenger trips in 662,569 miles of service during 2008.

Hours of service for the transportation authority increased 7 percent during the same time period.

AppalCART’s transportation director Chris Turner said, “The 14 percent increase amounted to an additional 137,000 recorded trips over the total for 2007.”

Turner attributed the increase to a combination of things: some newer buses, higher gas prices, and continuation of the fare free program on the authority’s bus routes.

In August 2008, AppalCART came out with its new schedules, which were overlaid on aerial photographs of Boone.

Turner credited Craig Hughes with the High Country Council of Governments for developing the new approach on the printed schedules.

While AppalCART is best known for its bus service, it also provides door-to-door van service throughout Watauga County under contracts with human service agencies, and these routes are available to the fare paying public.

Both bus and van routes are listed in AppalCART’s printed schedules and on their appalcart.com Web site.