AppalCART

[NewApp]

AppalCART records 1,756,161 passenger trips during fiscal year

AppalCART announced a record annual ridership figure of 1,756,161 passenger trips for the fiscal year completed June 30 in 870,013 miles of service.

According to Transportation Director Chris Turner, AppalCART experienced a 7 percent increase in ridership during the prior fiscal year with a 9 percent increase in hours of service and a 10 percent increase in miles of service.

Turner said that the system recorded 64,134.82 hours of service, which was 5,294.04 hours more than the prior fiscal year.

AppalCART added some peak hour service by beginning the Teal Route in August, which served Appalachian State University, Cottages of Boone Apartments off Poplar Grove Road and stops in between.

The Teal Route contributed 79,105 passenger trips in 54,008 miles and 3,563 hours of service during its first year of operations.

The transportation authority also recorded 192,265 miles of van service throughout Watauga County that resulted in 15,012 one-way trips.

The door-to-door paratransit van service recorded 13,364 passenger trips in 58,789 miles of service for a ridership increase of 13.4 percent.

AppalCART operated out of its new facility for the entire fiscal year.

For more information on AppalCART services visit http://www.appalcart.com or call the dispatch office at (828)

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

I am fairly certain I heard all rides are free when I was at freshman orientation a few weeks ago. That would help ridership I would hope.

[Gonzo]

They REALLY need to run buses until 2:30 a.m. Of course that would stop Boone PD from generating a lot of their revenue.

[BeauFoster]

I am fairly certain I heard all rides are free when I was at freshman orientation a few weeks ago. That would help ridership I would hope.

Students ride "free" with their student id. The university subsidizes the appalcart so it really isn't free, but neither are sporting events.

[Maddog1956]

I am fairly certain I heard all rides are free when I was at freshman orientation a few weeks ago. That would help ridership I would hope.

Students ride "free" with their student id. The university subsidizes the appalcart so it really isn't free, but neither are sporting events.

Everyone rides certain routes free now. I think it maybe supported by the town/county also but not sure. I just know for sure that anyone can ride now. It is one of the best little known (until after you're a student) features about APP/Boone.

[Gonzo]

With the exception of the Highland Games shuttle, I never saw any fee for riding an Appalcart. I went to school at App for 4 years and lived in the area for another 2 after that.

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

I am fairly certain I heard all rides are free when I was at freshman orientation a few weeks ago. That would help ridership I would hope.

Students ride "free" with their student id. The university subsidizes the appalcart so it really isn't free, but neither are sporting events.

If you check out their website, it seems the only thing not free are the county routes, and they are $20.

I assume the student fee is part of this and then the county kicks in some along with Boone. And I bet some federal transit money is part of the mix.

Chapel Hill does this as well-free rides for all.

[bigCasu]

With new apartment complexes opening all over, the Appalcart goes where the riders are. Keeps the govt money heading their way.

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

With new apartment complexes opening all over, the Appalcart goes where the riders are. Keeps the govt money heading their way.

And if that keeps cars off the road and the air quality better then this is money well spent. A place like Boone has the ability to put cars on the road and get from A to B easy enough. But that comes at a cost, both direct in roads and maintanance and indirect in air quality and environmental concerns.Placing an incentive on getting folks on a bus to the point of making the ride free is a great bargain in my view.

[bcoach]

NOTHING is free. It is just a matter of who pays.

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

NOTHING is free. It is just a matter of who pays.

And I imagine it is App State, Boone, Watauga, Fed gov't and possibly the state govt in various amounts. Sounds like a great way to mix and match some funds to get the job done and make it free at the point of service.

[wdhsbcsasu]

Do the buses run on "bio"? Thought that they did at one time.

[Maddog1956]

NOTHING is free. It is just a matter of who pays.

And I imagine it is App State, Boone, Watauga, Fed gov't and possibly the state govt in various amounts. Sounds like a great way to mix and match some funds to get the job done and make it free at the point of service.

I agree it's one of those things that Boone/APP should be proud of. To be a rural school with a urban bus system is a great plus. Some students use it all the time and some barely use it, but it's certainly is a good backup for everyone.

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

Do the buses run on "bio"? Thought that they did at one time.

The Wikipedia article states that they run on Bio and from what I can tell the same effort that brought the windmill to campus also got at least a bio mix in all the diesel type autos on campus.

http://wp.istc.illinois.edu/enb/2006/12 ... t-project/

[bcoach]

NOTHING is free. It is just a matter of who pays.

And I imagine it is App State, Boone, Watauga, Fed gov't and possibly the state govt in various amounts. Sounds like a great way to mix and match some funds to get the job done and make it free at the point of service.

No argument. Just stating that nothing in life is free. All who ride are paying, just not at the time of boarding.

[Maddog1956]

NOTHING is free. It is just a matter of who pays.

And I imagine it is App State, Boone, Watauga, Fed gov't and possibly the state govt in various amounts. Sounds like a great way to mix and match some funds to get the job done and make it free at the point of service.

No argument. Just stating that nothing in life is free. All who ride are paying, just not at the time of boarding.

To clear it up, it cost the same to ride or not ride so in that sense it's free to ride.

[bcoach]

NOTHING is free. It is just a matter of who pays.

And I imagine it is App State, Boone, Watauga, Fed gov't and possibly the state govt in various amounts. Sounds like a great way to mix and match some funds to get the job done and make it free at the point of service.

No argument. Just stating that nothing in life is free. All who ride are paying, just not at the time of boarding.

To clear it up, it cost the same to ride or not ride so in that sense it's free to ride.

Clear as mud