Six weeks ago, Vineyard Transit Authority (VTA) administrators worried they'd be forced to leave some bus riders stranded on the side of the road this summer.
Now, on the eve of the summer season, VTA officials say they have found enough drivers to meet summer demands.
Last month, the public bus system faced a 30 per cent hole in its summer workforce - the result of a decision by federal immigration officials to enforce a limit on temporary visas (H2Bs) for foreign wor
The Martha’s Vineyard Transit Authority will shift to its expanded, in-season schedule starting Saturday, May 3. The schedule will be in effect through Monday, Oct. 13.
Despite the rise in fuel costs, the transit authority at this time is not increasing its cash fares or pass prices.
With gas prices on the Vineyard hovering above $4.50 a gallon for regular and almost $5 a gallon for premium — some of the highest fuel costs in the nation — more Islanders are leaving their cars at home and taking the Martha’s Vineyard Transit Authority busses.
On Thursday, the Vineyard Transit Authority will mark nationwide Dump the Pump Day — an annual occasion that calls on people to use public transportation to save money, conserve gasoline and reduce greenhouse gases — by cutting its already bargain fares in half and holding a party at the youth hostel in West Tisbury.
The automobile has long been an integral part of American life; there are 40 million more registered motor vehicles in this country than licensed drivers.
Yet on Vineyard sidewalks and bike paths this week, people cruised along on bicycles with no worries about traffic and congestion. The parking lots for the Tisbury and Edgartown park and ride programs were jammed full, while bus stops for the Martha’s Vineyard Transit Authority were packed with people waiting to be picked up at all hours of the day.
Richard Doyle of the Federal Transit Administration recently presented the Martha’s Vineyard Transit Authority with the FTA Region 1 Thinking Outside the Bus 2008 Milestone Achievement Award. The VTA reached the milestone of carrying over one million passengers (1,031,197) for the first time in its history during fiscal year 2008.
VTA passengers have kept it going into the new fiscal year, climbing aboard 261,735 times in July, a new record for the month. The Island’s busiest August week may be a good chance to try riding instead of driving.
It was a banner year for the Vineyard Transit Authority, which posted its highest ridership numbers ever. But while an unprecedented number of passengers chose public transit on the Island this summer, transit authority administrator Angela Grant said her organization could use some relief.
“We should be running more bus service than we actually are, but we don’t have the funding to do it,” she said.
West Tisbury selectmen decided this week they will continue to purchase fuel for town vehicles from the Vineyard Transit Authority, despite complaints from the owners of Up-Island Automotive who told the selectmen last week the switch to discounted gasoline has hurt their business.
