Published: August 17, 2008 09:20 pm         

Community bus offers travel alternative

For those who want a way around town but don’t want to pay the high cost of fuel, Raleigh County Community Action Association has a solution.

The public can take advantage of its transit program, which runs three buses through Beckley for a one-way fare of $2.50. People can go to Wal-Mart, the mall, grocery stores, pharmacies and post offices Monday through Friday. Another bus takes people to the other half of the county for the same price. However, people must call ahead if they want to go to another part of the county, transportation director Andy Austin says.

Although the transit system has been in place for about 14 years, Austin says much of the public is not aware of it.

“I haven’t really seen an increase lately, and it seems as if it’s the same people that take it,” he said. “I attended some big meetings in Beckley, and I was sadly shocked that the people weren’t aware of what we offer.”

The city recently installed bus stop signs, Austin said. People are able to catch the bus at these various locations Monday through Friday, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

With many cities raising the bus fare along with gas prices, Austin says RCCAA is trying to keep the price steady.

“We’re trying our hardest not to increase the prices,” he said. “We’re doing this by getting people to buy advertisements to offset the price of fuel. We’re also limiting the diesel substitute buses.”

The association has several other programs, one of which is the non-emergency medical transportation program where people who show a valid Medicaid card can go to their health care appointments. This is available by appointment only.

“We can take them to Charleston, Charlottesville, Lexington, along with other towns,” Austin said. “If you have a valid Medicaid card, we will take you there.”

A program recently added is New Freedom, which is a way for people with disabilities to get to work and back home. The existing program Job Access Reverse Commute, or JARC, is similar, but it is not for disabled people. Both programs are available Monday through Saturday, 6 a.m. to midnight.

“For the JARC, people need to show proof of income verification,” Austin said. “The main purpose for these programs is to make sure that seniors, low-income and disabled people can be self-sufficient.”

For a bus schedule, contact the Raleigh County Community Action Association at 252-6396.