Published: June 27, 2009 11:15 pm      

Potomac Valley Transit Authority may end runs between Keyser, Cumberland

With fewer passengers, agency eyes dial-a-ride service

KEYSER, W.Va. — The Potomac Valley Transit Authority could be making a change not only in how its system operates in Keyser but also the other routes available to residents.

“Ready ride would be a dial-a-ride service,” said Jay Carter, manager of PVTA. “We would eliminate the Keyser loop and service from Keyser to Cumberland.”

The change in service from having regular routes would allow area residents to call the office to have a vehicle come and pick them up to take them to their destination, he told the mayor and city council at their Monday afternoon meeting. It would not be a cab service, he said, as a rider would not get the vehicle exclusively and may have to share it with another person headed in the same direction.

Rates for the service are expected to be between $1.50 to $2.00 per ride.

Mayor Glen “Bunk” Shumaker questioned whether a patron would be able to request a ride from Keyser to Cumberland, but Carter said they would likely operate only within Keyser city limits, save for some of the local shopping areas that are close to the limits, as is Wal-Mart. That arrangement is similar to the way PVTA operates in Moorefield, and he admitted he had mixed feelings on it.

PVTA is looking to cut the Keyser loop service out, he said, because it is no longer used as much by patrons and is costly to run.

“Over the last five to six years, service to the Country Club Mall has not been that great,” he told the council. “I don’t know if it’s not as much of an attraction as it used to be, but that’s part of the reason we’re cutting it out. It would be too far and take too long.”

He said there was the possibility that it could conflict with local taxi services and asked that the council to not only get comments from business owners but from the public as well.

Councilman Ed Miller promised that any feedback the council received would be given to the PVTA.

In happier news, Carter said, PVTA has received federal stimulus funding of about $869,000, which will allow the purchase of four new 20-passenger buses. That level of funding was one of the highest in the state for transportation.

Also looking to get new vehicles is the Keyser Police Department. Chief Karen Shoemaker said she is looking into getting two new police cruisers. She said that a company in Kansas City, Mo., had two used police cruisers, one a Ford Crown Victoria for just over $6,900 and a Chevrolet Impala for about $8,400. The two cars have 52,000 miles and 33,000 miles on them, respectively.

Funding for the two vehicles would come from the Coal Severance Tax.

Councilman Sonny Alt asked whether she would be selling two of the existing cruisers, but Shoemaker said that if council would allow it, she would like to hold onto one for parts.

When Alt also questioned how the police department would be picking up the vehicles, she said that they would look at either having them shipped or having them picked up and go with the cheapest option. While she would have liked to have found someplace closer, she added, Kansas City was the closest she could find with what they needed.

Terry Lively of the Region 8 Planning and Development Council also said that progress is being made on the upgrade of the city’s water treatment plant and getting water to Hollywood Road. The engineering selection committee has chosen Dunn Engineers of Charleston to do the engineering on Phase II of the project.

There was also discussion of bids for a new roads garage to be located at the Waste Treatment Plant, but Councilman Dave Sowers said that of the three bids, one didn’t follow proper procedure, one was too high and one was too late. He told the council he’d like to rebid and meet with them to discuss the matter. The council approved.

The council also wanted to do further reviews of plans to purchase three all-terrain vehicles for the streets department. Alt said he’d like to have more definite numbers on what the cost savings would be on gas, compared to a cost of at least $9,000 for each ATV.

“$27,000 will buy you a lot of gas,” Shumaker said.

The council agreed to table the issue until they could get definite cost savings.

Contact Sarah Moses at smoses@times-news.com.