Transit demand rises

Portales Area Transit could be providing an estimated 3,000 more rides this year than last year and officials expect demand to keep increasing.

An estimated 21,000 rides will be given by Portales Area Transit this year, according to Director Dawn Kryder. She said the number will continue to increase yearly because of growing population in the area.

"As any community grows, the need for transportation grows," Kryder said.

Kryder says PAT, the area's only form of public transportation, is often praised for not having a fixed bus route and having reasonable prices at 75 cents a ride when compared to the public transportation of larger cities.

The service provides front door pick up and drop off Monday through Friday. PAT also requires passengers to schedule rides at least one day in advance. Kryder says same-day pick up is now being offered if there is an opening on the schedule.

Kryder said her four full-time drivers average about 40 scheduled rides per day. Service runs from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. The majority of the scheduled rides in the morning are usually made by passengers going to work.

Kryder said a group of Sunland Peanuts Inc. workers use the morning service daily.

The majority of the scheduled rides in the afternoon are usually made by parents to pick up their children from schools. According to Kryder, about 75 students per day are using PAT.

"The Portales Area Transit meets a definite need for the community overall," Kryder said.

Kryder said the most common destinations riders schedule include grocery stores, Roosevelt General Hospital, La Casa Family Health Center and local schools.

Kryder said drivers go beyond their job duties and frequently build relationships with regular riders.

She said last year, a driver was able to identify when one of their regular riders was becoming ill and requested a welfare check on them.

"It's that personal touch," Kryder said. "They care about the riders because they get to know them."

Beatrice Moore, senior president at the Portales Senior Citizen Center, rides PAT three times a week.

"They're very dependable, they're (drivers) all courteous and the service is very affordable," Moore said.

The only down side Moore pointed out is that there is no night, weekend or holiday service. But she thinks the service fits the people in the area.

Kryder said that there is not enough funding for the service to operate during those hours because it would require more staff. She did add that they received close to $148,000 in funding last year and will continue to apply for more with the expansion of the area.