Transit Bus one answer to the cold weather

Pictured: Teresa Bartholomew with the Transit bus. Other drivers are Jim Wagner and Janice McCloud and can be reached at 605-228-7938 to schedule a ride. 

You may have seen the transit bus around town a lot lately with the cold weather.

Riders have realized it is much nicer and easier to get on a warm bus and be “delivered” to their destination and then picked up for a return home. 

No one likes to run out to a cold car these days to start it up for a run to the post office or grocery store, to a doctor or hair appointment or to take your child to school. “The bus” can be your answer! It’s also cost effective, too at only a dollar a ride. Transit is for all ages and has especially been a boon for working parents who need to get their children to school and back during the week.

Adult rides have also increased and in the first 9 days of February there was a total of 243 riders of all ages.

In 2018 South Dakota, in order to make public transportation available to all its citizens, made the decision to move forward with a regional transportation plan, which would begin in the fall of 2019. The Faulkton Area Economic Development Corporation’s Quality of Life committee had been investigating the possibility of a transit system in Faulkton, so when the state announced the regional plan a series of informational meetings were held locally. A local community survey had also shown there was an interest in a transportation system. The development corporation decided to move forward on the project, formed a committee to work with the Regional Board and had a series of fundraisers. A bus was secured and in August of 2019 community transit became a reality in Faulkton.

Faulk County Community Transit Authority is part of the Northeast Regional Transit and operates under the umbrella of Community Transit of Watertown/Sisseton, Inc. Some state grant money helps with the cost of running the system, but local funds also have to be raised each year through donations and fundraisers. Currently the local committee is looking into a grant to construct a garage to house the bus and an office. Anyone interested in donating to Faulk County Transit can send their check to PO Box 188 in Faulkton. All donations are tax deductible.

Bus drivers are Teresa Bartholomew, Jim Wagner and Janice McCloud and can be reached at 605-228-7938 to schedule a ride. Each ride is $1.00, and tokens and punch cards are available at the city office, the school, the hospital or from the bus drivers. Faulk County Transit operates Monday-Friday from 7:30am6:00pm.