Smooth roads
Walker County is in the process of paving Wilson, Lake Howard, Straight Gut and Lee Clarkson roads. New County Road Superintendent Jeff Long is in charge of the project. “We will pave the full length of all those roads,” Walker County Commissioner Bebe Heiskell said, adding that paving is underway. “Part of Straight Gut Road was already paved.”
Walker Transit's system fleet of 11 buses may see the addition of a 12th one in 2016.
"We have a fleet of 11 Walker Transit buses, but we need another one since we have 5,000 clients," said Transit Supervisor Larry Brooks.
He said ridership has increased over the past year as people age and more and more people find out about the service.
The county will apply to the state to cover the cost of the new bus, said Brooks.
"Ideally we'd like to have it right away, but it will probably be 2017 before we get it," he said, noting that the state must determine there's a need for a new bus before granting any funds toward it.
Should the state deny the county's request, Brooks said whether or not the county can kick in more money to secure the bus "will depend on county revenues and what the commissioner is willing to contribute toward the program."
County Commissioner Bebe Heiskell said in a separate interview last week that if the county did not receive matching funds from other sources, it could not provide the service. The service costs the county $300,000 per year, she said, explaining that the majority of the total $800,000 cost is covered through state and federal funds.
"Walker County's land mass is 450 square miles. It is 50 miles across the county. It's expensive to drive up and down the mountain with filling up gasoline in the buses," she said. "I think the Walker County Transit is adequate."
In 2013, Heiskell considered discontinuing the service due to mounting fuel and operational costs, plus the addition of riders who had previously used the now-defunct Lookout Mountain Community Services' transit program, Brooks said at that time. Instead, the fee riders pay was doubled, from $2 to $4.
"We looked at cutting the transit service, but we realized it would do too much damage to cut it," Heiskell said last week. "We revamped the transit. We tried to cut back and streamline as best we could."
The system does not have a set route, instead taking riders wherever they need to go. Heiskell gave an example of people living on Daugherty Gap who may have a doctor's appointment all the way on Gunbarrel Road in East Brainerd.
"We look for ways to do standing routes. However, right now we do individualized trips," said Brooks. "It really is an individualized service because the driver helps [riders] out too. With Carta [Chattanooga's public transit system], they don't take that time. The transit drivers help riders and are familiar with needs."
He said the service is also different than Catoosa County's, which only offers transportation to medical appointments.
"We will carry Walker County residents anywhere that makes sense for us to do. If they need to shop we limit those trips depending on volumes," Brooks said.
"I'm here to provide services," said Heiskell. "These people went without medical attention before we got the transit. Senior citizens don't want to call their kids to take them places. I find it to be essential to the people of Walker County [to continue operating the transit]."