Doubled budget could increase capacity for free rides in Floyd
Floyd residents booked 3,329 rides during a recent 12-month period, an average of 277 per month, agency data showed.
A free minibus that takes eligible Floyd County residents to appointments, jobs, stores, and other destinations is about to get more capacity.
Community Transit GO is preparing for a major budget increase Oct. 1, according to General Manager Trevor Sakry.
Those who use Community Transit book thousands of rides throughout the New River Valley in advance each month via phone or app. It is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and available to people 65 and older, and people with disabilities, including substance use disorder. Riders can live in the counties of Floyd, Giles, Montgomery, and Pulaski, and in the city of Radford.
The on-demand system operates on a first-come, first-served basis, so some ride requests are rejected when the capacity is reached. With the new money, that should occur less often.
"We’re hoping we can reduce our rejection rate significantly," said Sakry, who works for Radford-based New River Valley Community Services.
Funding from the Federal Transit Administration and Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation will increase the program’s annual budget from $555,247 this fiscal year to $1,017,584 next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.
Floyd residents booked 3,329 rides during a recent 12-month period, an average of 277 per month, agency data showed.
Sakry said he believes more people in Floyd could use the service, but suspects some people don’t know it exists.
Wall Residences, the Floyd-based company providing residential and community services to people with disabilities, is “super excited” to see the individuals it serves utilize the service, CFO Matt Rosenbaum said. They could take it to a job, a volunteer role, a community event, or to see friends, he said.
Riders can take the minibus for virtually any reason, including recreation or just getting out. An individual who lives in a Floyd retirement home rides “to visit his mom who’s in a different assisted living or nursing home," Sakry said. "I know we bring someone in Floyd regularly to go shopping at the mall" in Christiansburg.
The number to obtain more information and make reservations is (540) 831-4020.
Community Transit GO is a service of New River Valley community Services. Learn more here.
