Wednesday, March 7, 2007

KART christens new commuter bus

Regional bus service continues to expand

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By REBECCA MEANY
Express Staff Writer

KART/PEAK Manager Terry Crawford, left, smiles as Beth Robrahn cuts the ribbon on a new Gillig bus Thursday on Main Street in Ketchum. KART/PEAK board Chairman Peter Everett, center, and board members Joan Lamb and Jim Jaquet, watch. Robrahn, who sits on the board of directors, founded the PEAK bus commuter service, which has since merged with KART. Photo by David N. Seelig

The 4:15 from Ketchum to Bellevue Thursday was cause for celebration. A new 35-foot Gillig low-floor commuter bus rolled onto the streets for its inaugural run—a trip marked by speeches, snacks and that "new bus" smell.

The down-valley bus was ordered by commuter bus service PEAK and Blaine County last year. However, since KART's merger with PEAK in May, and the recent arrival of the bus, the new bus will be overseen by KART/PEAK Manager Terry Crawford.

"I'm excited that we are able to bring a new level of comfort and quality to the commuter service with this bus," Crawford said. "It reinforces our drive to be a regional organization that offers attractive transportation services to those who live, visit or work in Blaine County. And it gives us additional fleet capacity to better carry out that mission."

The bus is a 32-passenger, wheelchair-accessible transit bus that costs approximately $300,000. A federal grant paid for the bulk of that, with KART/PEAK paying $51,000 in matching funds.

The bus graphics were designed by local artist Kevin Syms.

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KART/PEAK board Chairman Peter Everett said the new bus is one way the board is trying to meet demand.

"We're growing quite rapidly," he said. "We're going to be countywide."

Everett summarized for the gathering recent actions taken by the board, including approving a new mission statement, which commits the service to reducing pollution, managing sprawl, expanding service and growing its rider numbers, and keeping prices low.

Celebrants didn't linger too long at the send-off.

"We are on kind of a schedule," Crawford said.