Lewis plans public buses

LOWVILLE — Lewis County officials plan to start a public transportation system as soon as next month by mainly using existing private bus routes.

"The framework was already there," said county Planner Sarah J. Bullock.

Arc's Oneida-Lewis chapter contracts with Birnie Bus Service Inc., Rome, to transport its program participants on seven different bus routes each weekday, all of which come into Lowville. Two buses make round trips to Carthage and Boonville each day, while single buses go to Harrisville, Copenhagen and Brantingham.

The plan is to allow county residents along those routes — or within three-quarters of a mile from them — to ride by calling a Birnie dispatcher ahead of time, Mrs. Bullock said.

"They can get on and get off any time they want to along the line," County Manager David H. Pendergast said.

Birnie also plans to add a new, continuous bus loop that would take riders to various locations in and around the village, he said.

Birnie operates public transit programs in a few other counties, including Madison, Herkimer and Oneida, according to their Web site.

"They're sort of the experts in rural mass transportation in the area," Mrs. Bullock said.

While the Arc buses are now painted blue, they are to be changed — possibly with a different color for each route — and clearly designated as Lewis County public transportation, she said.

The goal is to begin public bus service some time in July, but several steps must take place before that can happen, Mr. Pendergast said.

County legislators at a special meeting June 17 are expected to hold a public hearing and vote on a law authorizing a public transportation system. Lawmakers would then need to contract with Birnie — as the Arc does — to provide busing and dispatching services, Mr. Pendergast said.

Several details, including the proposed county cost and fare schedule for riders, must still be worked out before a contract may be approved, he said. County officials on Wednesday plan to meet again with representatives from Birnie and the state Department of Transportation to discuss those issues.

A public education campaign will also be needed to promote use of the proposed new service, Mr. Pendergast said.

"I hope people use it, because that will be the key to its longevity and expansion," he said, noting the possibility of a future route to Watertown has tentatively been discussed.

Along with increasing the mobility of senior citizens and other residents, county officials also expect the proposed system ultimately to provide a savings to taxpayers.

"This is an effort to reduce our costs," Mr. Pendergast said.

Mrs. Bullock last winter completed a transportation study with assistance from the Lewis County Transportation Task Force, a group formed in 2007 that includes 14 representatives from county government, nonprofit agencies and the community.

According to the study, Lewis County General Hospital and four county agencies — Office for the Aging, Public Health, Mental Health and Department of Social Services — plan to spend a combined $625,182 on transportation this year. About 10 other local agencies also provide transportation services, but there is no interagency coordination.

"We have multiple vehicles running at the same time," Mrs. Bullock said during a presentation to legislators in February.

She also mentioned that Birnie — under the auspices of Oneida County Rural Transit — on two days per week operates a bus route between Utica and Lowville. According to her presentation, having a volunteer driver take a client to Utica — at 55 cents per mile — would cost $61.44, while sending the person by bus would cost only $10.

ON THE NET

Birnie Bus Co.: www.birniebus.com