Press Release from NCDOT-Public Transportation Division

RALEIGH - The 30th anniversary of rural coordinated transportation in North Carolina was observed during the 2008 Community Transportation Conference, held Oct. 19-22 at the Sheraton Hotel in Raleigh.  Among those attending the conference was Pamela Perry, executive director of the Choanoke Public Transportation Authority, based in Rich Square.

The annual conference was sponsored by the Public Transportation Division in the N.C. Department of Transportation.  This year’s conference attracted more than 100 transportation professionals representing 70 community transportation systems.

A rural study conducted more than 30 years ago identified opportunities for coordination among transportation services operated by various human service agencies.  From that study, North Carolina has emerged as a national leader in coordinated transportation, recognized by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The first N.C. Community Transportation Conference was convened by Gov. Jim Hunt in 1978 as a “Governor’s Conference” and was the official beginning of coordinated transportation in North Carolina.  The state’s rural transportation systems today serve every segment of the community — the elderly, persons with disabilities, individuals seeking non-emergency medical care, commuters to work and school, as well as the general public.

This year’s conference followed the theme of “Moving Public Transportation from Good to Great.”  Choanoke’s Pamela Perry was among the speakers.  Others were Roberto Canales, NCDOT deputy secretary for transit; Patrick Woodie, vice president of rural development programs at the N.C. Rural Economic Development Center; Jo Ann Hutchinson, coordination ambassador for Region 4, Federal Transit Administration; and Steven A. Sloan, assistant director of the N.C. Division of Emergency Management.

According to Miriam Perry, director of the Public Transportation Division, the conference provides an opportunity for transit personnel to learn and exchange ideas that will enhance their service to the state’s rural citizens.

The Choanoke Public Transportation Authority, operating in Bertie, Halifax, Hertford and Northampton counties, provides community transportation services to 11 human service agencies and to the general public through subscription and dial-a-ride routes.  The system operates with 45 vehicles, 30 of which are lift-equipped.

For more information about the Choanoke Public Transportation Authority, call (252) 539-2022.