Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, April 24, 1993 TAG: 9304240308
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-8 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: MICHAEL STOWE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
In its first two months of service in 1983, Blacksburg Transit had three routes, seven buses and about 100 passengers a day.
The bus system now has six routes, 28 buses and 8,500 passengers a day.
"We've grown quite a bit," said Blacksburg Transit Manager Michael Connelly.
Blacksburg Transit celebrated its 10th birthday Friday in grand fashion, with lots of food and tours of its 61,000-square-foot facility in the Blacksburg Industrial Park.
Connelly, who's headed the transit program since it started, said he was surprised by the quick growth of the bus system.
"I always thought it would expand, just not this much or this fast," he said.
Connelly said much of Blacksburg Transit's success can be attributed to the shared-funding plan between the town and Virginia Tech.
Every semester, Tech students are charged a Blacksburg Transit fee; students then can use the bus system by showing their student ID.
Like everything else at Blacksburg Transit, Tech's contribution to the bus system has increased dramatically in the last decade.
In 1983 the university contributed $200,000 to Blacksburg Transit; Tech now contributes about $900,000.
Another reason for Blacksburg Transit's success, Connelly said, is that the bus system doesn't try to service every street in town.
"We are not structured to provide service into single-family homes," he said. "We like to concentrate on areas where the most people are."
Of course, that means student-apartment complexes. Connelly said nearly 95 percent of Blacksburg Transit's riders are Tech students.
He said there have been numerous changes to Blacksburg Transit's service in the last decade.
It wasn't until 1985, for instance, that the bus system started providing Sunday and late-night service.
At the students' request, Blacksburg Transit started providing seven-day service and extended the schedule till 2 a.m. on most nights.
"We try to do what the customers want," Connelly said. "Without any riders, there wouldn't be any buses."
by CNB