Transit offers free service to those in need
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Even during a pandemic, the van still ships out each day.
Graham County Transit began operation in the 1980s, and some four decades later is still providing free transportation to residents that need to visit the grocery store, doctor’s office and even make it to work.
“We’re always happy to help and we’ll do all we can,” Graham County Transit Director Juanita Colvard said. “We make daily dialysis trips. We’re about to get involved in the Recovery to Work program, so we’re really excited about that. We transport workers to IOI (Industrial Opportunities Inc., in Andrews) and we’ve got a contract with Graham Healthcare & Rehabilitation for transportation.”
Much like with anything else, COVID-19 has drastically impacted Graham County Transit. Numbers hovering around the 25,000 range in “units” – or times a transit vehicle starts or stops to either pick up or drop off a passenger – in 2019 dropped to around 16,000 last year. It could be even lower this year.
But for those who have still taken advantage of the convenience Graham County Transit provides, there are plenty of safety protocols in use.
“We have a mandated-mask policy,” Colvard said. “We sanitize our vehicles several times a day and we try to transport one person at a time but when we can’t, we do keep them 6 feet apart. Our vans are small, so that’s hard to do. We’ve put barriers in all the high-tops and we’re going to put them in the last two minis (vans).
“We’re trying to maintain safety, but we’ve had several drivers who have been exposed to riders we’ve had aboard and have had to quarantine. Having workers down for 14 days has been a challenge.”
Funded through grants and contracts, the transit has nine vans and 13 employees – including 10 drivers – that serve the county. The longest-tenured driver is Jerry Jones, who has been with Graham County Transit since 2004.
Trips to Asheville, Clyde, Bryson City and Cherokee County are not uncommon through the week, though out-of-county appointments have to be scheduled 48 hours in advance.
“It’s all according to demand,” Colvard said. “When demand is there, we go.”
Graham County Transit is located at 201 West Fort Hill Road. To schedule an appointment, call 479-4129.