Gas prices will change some bus fares
By Andrew Bell
Published in News on July 25, 2006 1:53 PM
If gasoline prices continue to increase, the Goldsboro-Wayne Transportation Authority's rural passengers will pay more to get around the county, officials said.
Although urban rates in Goldsboro would not change, rural rates will if gas prices exceed $3 per gallon, authority director Stephen Wright said.
The authority provides bus and van transportation to residents across the county, and is better known as GATEWAY, or the Goldsboro Area Transportation Express of Wayne County.
Rural rates are based on "a sliding scale," Wright said. The price to be transported across the county increases as the price of gasoline climbs at the pumps, he said.
Currently, rural passengers are paying $8 each way for destinations in the county and $35 for trips outside the county line. If gas prices exceed $3 per gallon, the in-county rate will increase 50 cents and the out-of-county rate will be $5 more, Wright said.
Another 50 cents will be added to the in-county rural rate if gas prices rise to between $3.50 and $4 per gallon. This would also cause out-of-county rides to increase to $45 each way, Wright said.
If the price of gas passes $4 per gallon, rural rates would be fixed at $10 per in-county ride and $50 for out-of-county trips.
"It's something I have no control over. When the price goes up, the wholesale price goes up," Wright said.
The authority collected about $12,000 to provide county transportation last month. Almost 18,000 passengers used the county's services in June.
The transit system's routes include Berkeley Boulevard, Slocumb Street, Wayne Memorial and the northern end of Wayne County for a cost of a dollar per ride, except for children, who ride free of charge.
The authority also provides transportation for disabled residents. Wright said if a disabled person lives within three-quarters of a mile of a bus stop or fixed route, the bus or van driver will pick that person up for a charge of $2 to their destination.
Private citizens can also pay the authority for transportation to and from locations by calling to make an appointment with a driver. Rides cost $5 each way.
For more information on routes and prices, call the Goldsboro-Wayne Transportation Authority at 736-1374.