Progress
in Alamance County relating to growth in housing, retail, services and
manufacturing will necessitate a thorough review of public transportation needs.
Our highways are almost congested the day improvements are completed. A study is
currently under way by the Burlington Metropolitan Planning Organization and the
Alamance County Transportation Authority to address public transportation
concerns. Questions continue to come to the Authority each week about
vanpooling, carpooling, park and ride lots, airport shuttles, and general public
transit, as well as on specialized transportation needs. These questions come
not only from existing residents, but from newcomers to the area as well. In
order to be considered the connection between the Triangle and the Triad, we
will have to provide the means to make those connections. The personal
automobile alone will not be the answer.
As a start, everyone needs to know that public transportation does exist in
Alamance County and its municipalities. Following is an update on ACTA.
Hopefully, you can see it as a basis for future transportation.
Alamance County Transportation Authority (ACTA) is a public authority
established July 1, 2002 by the Alamance County Board of Commissioners. The
purpose of the Authority is to provide transportation for the elderly, disabled,
and general public residing in Alamance County. The Authority utilizes standard
passenger vans and vans equipped with wheelchair lifts to assist persons with
specialized transportation needs, as well as the general public.
The Mission Statement of the Authority is as follows:
It shall be the mission of the Alamance County Transportation
Authority (ACTA) to provide safe, economical and effective transportation to any
resident of Alamance County needing such services. This mission shall be
achieved through:
- A commitment to customer service;
- Awareness of and attention to changing transportation needs;
- Continuous, coordinated, and comprehensive transportation planning;
- Marketing outreach to area agencies and businesses;
- Sound financial management
ACTA currently employs 34 individuals. Of this number, 21 are full time and
13 are part time. A number of employees are retirees. The driver force consists
of 28 employees. Of these, 23 currently have commercial drivers licenses.
Employment requires a DOT physical, pre-employment drug testing, a drivers
license check, and a criminal background check.
Training for drivers and other employees is an area of continuing emphasis.
Training programs now include a complete driver training program with emphasis
on safety and defensive driving. Over 32 hours of classroom training must be
completed before a driver is allowed to begin driving a vehicle. Other
specialized training is given in commercial drivers licensing, first aid, CPR,
customer service, MSDS, violence in the workplace, fire prevention, emergency
actions, and ADA regulations.
A modern computerized scheduling and dispatch system is used to set up trips
and control daily operations. Operations now include an average of almost 400
trips per day.
Typical operations on any given day will see general public riders going to
work, buy groceries, or to do other shopping. Current work related riders are
going to places like Comfort Inn, AMI, Culp, McDonalds, Kayser Roth, Lakeside
Dyeing, WestPoint Stevens, Walmart, Kmart, Anderson Products, Wendy’s, The
Village Grill, and Burger King. Additional transportation will be provided for
40-80 dialysis trips, 30-40 congregate meal trips, 40-50 Dial-A-Ride trips, 100
medical related trips, 20-40 care facility trips, 20 trips for Friendship Center
clients, 3-5 students to ACC, and 30 clients going to Vocational Trades of
Alamance.
One very important service provided for senior Alamance County residents is
the Dial-A-Ride program. This program enables Alamance County residents, aged 60
and over, not covered in other programs, to ride free to medical appointments
and to buy groceries.
Future transit needs are currently under study by the Burlington MPO and
ACTA. A consultant has been retained for a feasibility study on transit needs in
the county. Currently Inter-County medical transportation is provided daily from
Alamance County to Durham, Chapel Hill and Greensboro in cooperation with
Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation (PART). PART is also working with
local officials to review sites for Park and Ride lots which will provide
inter-area transit connectivity.
To find out more about scheduling rides, rates, and eligibility for various
programs, contact ACTA in the following ways:
Telephone 336-222-0565
FAX 336-222-6029
Mail ACTA
P. O. Box 2746
Burlington, NC 27216
Visit ACTA
1946C Martin Street
Burlington, NC 27217
Email actaexec@bellsouth.net
Website www.acta-nc.com
