Ride In Style On One of Central Transit's New Buses

December 21, 2007

ELLENSBURG, Wash.--Central Washington University's Central Transit received an early holiday gift this year—two new buses dedicated solely to Central Transit. HopeSource, a founding partner of Central Transit, received a grant in the amount of $144,000 from the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to pay for the buses.

"We're really excited, and I think the students will be excited when they return," says Larry Anderson, vice president of transportation services at HopeSource. "These buses are top of the line."

Anderson says along with a smooth ride, riders can expect all the bells and whistles on the new buses including heated steps and mirrors, the most recent up to date ADA lift, a stop request lever and many advanced safety features.

The buses cost about $70,000 a piece. They will replace two older buses HopeSource has been using for Central Transit, which are both more than 10 years old and have racked up more than 200,000 miles each.

As Anderson explains, the older buses were definitely ready to retire. "We poured a lot of maintenance money into them to keep them running. We've also used our other HopeSource vehicles to replace them when they're both broken down at the same time."

In its third year of service, Central Transit is quickly becoming a main mode of transportation for students and the community. It saw about 36,000 riders last academic year, which is up from 24,000 the previous year.

Although no fare is needed to ride the transit, CWU Police Chief Captain Kevin Higgins says donations are always accepted. "As the need for a local transportation service continues to grow, so does the need for more partners. This type of service would not be possible without the support of our partners."

Central Transit in funded by the students of CWU and HopeSource with additional support from WSDOT, Elmview, Central Washington Disability Resources and the city of Ellensburg.

"We ended last year with more than 150 riders a day on average. Now we average about 170 riders a day," says Anderson. "I believe we can safely forecast 40,000 riders this academic year with the expanded route."

Higgins credits the increase on the fact that Central Transit now runs an evening bus on breaks and holidays. He says when students return, he'd like to see more of them use the morning bus. "It's great for students living north of campus, especially in inclement weather," he states. "Riding the bus also helps relieve parking congestion on campus and reduces single vehicle occupancy in the downtown. It's safer and it benefits the environment."

Anderson believes the success of the first two years of service proves there's a huge need for this type of service in the community.

"If we can find more partners, we can start meeting even more local transportation needs," maintains Anderson, who is excited about Central Transit's future. "The two new buses are really going to launch us into the next couple years. We're working on extending routes and developing a better relationship with the hotel/motel industry in Ellensburg to better meet the needs of visitors attending conferences in town."

According to Higgins, the next big move for Central Transit is to try to build bus shelters at the more popular stops. He says, "It would be nice for riders to be able to get out of the elements, especially in extreme conditions."

Currently Central Transit routes reach as far north as Helena and Alder streets and as far south as the Quality Inn. Routes and locations are subject to change due to rider demands. Current routes can be found at www.cwu.edu/~police and click on the Central Transit link.

Captain Kevin Higgins, CWU Police Captain, 509-963-2959
Teri Olin, CWU Public Relations & Marketing, 509-963-1416, olint@cwu.edu

Central Washington University is a master's degree-granting institution with approximately 10,000 students and 1,500 faculty and staff. More than 160 undergraduate and master's degrees are offered. Founded in 1891, the Ellensburg campus is located in the heart of Washington State, nestled between the Cascade Mountains and the Columbia River. Since 1975, CWU has served the needs of place bound students at six university centers throughout the state. CWU is an AA/EEO Title IX Institution.