FACT keeps Fayette moving |
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Author: John Tremba
Source: Tribune Review
Date: May 13, 2007
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If you've traveled anywhere in the Fay-West area, you've undoubtedly seen the multi-colored, historically decaled buses that are part of the Fayette Area Coordinated Transportation system.
"We started back in 1996 as a para-system or shared ride to transport medically challenged residents to doctors' offices and hospitals," said Michelle Grant Shumar, director of FACT. "We had very limited resources, were housed in the old 911 building in a very small room, and worried about the future of public transportation in Fayette County."
Over the past 10 years FACT has grown into a model organization.
"We still have a lot of work to do, and we monitor monthly how our performance fared and how we can improve delivering transportation services to area residents," she said. "I will say, though, that our system is being viewed by others just getting started. I would like to think at this point that our program is a good model to follow."
FACT grew as a direct effort of the Fayette County commissioners to ensure a fully coordinated transportation system.
"The county commissioners encouraged us to pursue state and federal transportation grants," Shumar said. "We did just that and almost every year we were able to expand and coordinate."
Following the adage that one learns from mistakes, but they don't have to be your own mistakes, FACT secured consultant services.
Harold Jenkins has been in the transportation business for more than 30 years.
"I had my own busing business originally then moved into public transportation in Johnstown, and have since gone into the consulting business," Jenkins said. "FACT is probably one of the more efficient and fully coordinated transit services in Pennsylvania.
"The shared ride/medically challenged services soon grew into a general transportation service. Now FACT provides transportation for anyone and everyone with no income, age or disability being the qualifier," Jenkins said. "FACT now provides service to communities in every cardinal direction in and out of the hub here at the Joseph A. Hardy Connellsville Airport location."
FACT has daily routes that carry commuters to and from downtown Pittsburgh. Charles Rupenthal is one of the Pittsburgh route drivers.
"Our ridership has grown from 140 in October, when we began the route, to 350 in March. Our fares are very reasonable at $5 to $7 each way. As one regular businessman rider said, 'I save $150 in parking fees, not to mention the rising price of gasoline (and) tolls. And the stress factor is no longer a factor in my day.'"
Rupenthal is a retired tractor-trailer driver and former coach bus driver for Edenfield Stages. He loves his route, which takes him from the hub daily at 5:45 a.m., arriving in Pittsburgh via stops in Star Junction and Rostraver at 7:15 a.m. -- just in time for the people who start work at 8 a.m.
A second bus leaves the hub an hour later, arriving at 8:15 a.m. for the 9 a.m. workers. Both buses make other round trips during the day and make return runs from the city at 4:15 and 5:15 p.m., respectively.
Rupenthal said, "I have always made it my concern to make sure I return at the end of the day with the same passengers I took to the city in the morning. My riders have my cell phone number, and they call me if they are running a little late. I wait for them as a service."
"The thing I am most proud of," Shumar said, "is that FACT is a one-stop shop. By that I mean no matter what the transportation needs, area residents need only call one provider, FACT.
"Other counties may have half a dozen providers, each with a different mission and service area. Customers get frustrated and discouraged in those situations."
Jenkins has been a contracted consultant for every county in the state, and has been statewide consultant for West Virginia, Texas and California.
"My pet project over the years, even before it was a requirement, has been to install accommodations for handicapped passengers. Every vehicle in FACT is wheelchair accessible, and we've found out it does not require extra space or time to operate.
"The beauty of FACT is that they have applied for all the right grants and they have spent the money, and spent it well," Jenkins said. "This beautiful facility does it all: bus parking, maintenance, dispatch, administration, call-center, waiting rooms, park and ride, information and convenience."
Shumar agreed.
"The choice to locate here at the airport has been prime. We are centrally located on Route 119, very near all our generators -- that is, the places people gather or need and want to visit: hospitals, senior centers, shopping malls, court house, work, recreation, etc. We are also poised for new developments here at the airport itself."
Dispatcher Jerry Brame, of Connellsville, worked for Fayette EMS and FACT the last three years.
"This new building is phenomenal; it helps us make FACT efficient for our 750 trips each day," he said. "We were held back in our former building in Uniontown. Our growth has been remarkable."
Locally, FACT transit services Connellsville, Uniontown, Masontown, McClellandtown, Point Marion, Farmington, Nemacolin Woodlands, Star Junction, Perryopolis, Republic and Brownsville.
"The regular bus will stop for anyone anywhere," Jenkins said. "The shared ride is reserved for whomever arranged for it to arrive."
Walter Porterfield and Alexandria Rosano, both of Connellsville, ride it at least once a day.
"We love it and depend on it," Rosano said. "Mostly we travel locally between Connellsville and Uniontown, but we occasionally take it to Pittsburgh as well."
Bill Richter said he appreciates the new service.
"It is convenient for me to use to get to Uniontown, and it is a great ride," he said. "The prices are good, too."
Ride tickets cost $1.25 to $3.85.
Shumar pointed out that keeping track of arrival and departure times, and where the buses are, will be improving as well.
"We have plans to install high-tech tracking devices called Automated Vehicle Locators linked to the GPS and GIS satellites, so that we can track our routes and get a better feel for where the riders are and need to go," she said. "The data gathered from these Mobile Data Terminals offer our federal auditors a better view of what we do all day supplementing our grant assessments."
"Bus riding is not for everyone, but every time we survey our riders they say, 'Please don't take this away from us. It is our only lifeline,'" Rupenthal said. |
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