July 26, 2013. AppalCART announced a record annual ridership figure of 1,635,663 passenger trips for the fiscal year completed June 30, 2013. According to transportation director Chris Turner, this year marked the sixth time the transportation authority passed the one million trips threshold. Moreover, AppalCART experienced a 3 percent increase in ridership over the prior fiscal year with a 6 percent increase in hours of service and a 5 percent increase in miles of service.
Turner noted that the system had recorded 58,841 hours of service and 788,041 miles of service in the recently completed fiscal year. Turner said that due to legislative budget cuts to AppalCART cut off peak hours on its bus service but due to increased funding form the University AppalCART added some peak hour service by adding the Silver Route and a second bus on the Purple Route during the school year.
The transportation authority also recorded 183,957 miles of van service throughout Watauga County that resulted in 14,775 one-way trips.
The door-to-door paratransit van service recorded 11,785 passenger trips in 47,727 miles of service for a ridership decrease of 7.5 percent.
For more information on AppalCART services you may visit their website at www.appalcart.com or call their dispatch office at 828-264-2278.