Ridership up on Carroll bus system

Increase attributed to gas prices, promotional tactics

Some of the stops allow for switching buses while others provide service to new places, such as libraries and senior citizens’ centers. Fares range from 50 cents to $3.

‘‘The biggest change really is the idea that the shuttles now connect to each other,” said Doug Howard, the executive director of the Carroll Area Transit System, or CATS as it is commonly referred to. ‘‘So, for instance, if you wanted to get from Eldersburg up to the town mall in Westminster, you could do that by connecting from one shuttle to another.”

Ridership for CATS was up 8 percent, or 803 riders, in April compared to last year for its on-demand response buses, and 11 percent, or 113 riders, on the four fixed-shuttle routes it runs between Sykesville, Eldersburg, South Carroll, Westminster and Taneytown, according to the most recent numbers released by CATS.

The surge in shuttle-riders, which was a key reason for the changes to routes and schedules, can be chalked up to a couple of factors, Howard said.

The cost of fuel is one.

‘‘We’re getting more people calling who are saying ‘what other options do we have?’” Howard said. ‘‘I think [high fuel costs] have a direct impact on people looking for alternatives. I think it certainly raised people’s interests in finding what else is available, and I think it’s having an impact on ridership.”

Howard also credited the surge to the promotion and marketing campaign that CATS has undertaken since January. CATS used a multi-faceted approach to spread awareness about the shuttles: securing newspaper ads, giving presentations at community groups, distributing brochures, and labeling buses with the slogan ‘‘Anyone Can Ride.”

Capacity may be even greater, as CATS is considering adding new shuttle routes. ‘‘We’re looking at the possibility, at some point, of connecting to Mount Airy and then possibly toward the Hampstead or Manchester area,” Howard said.

Mount Airy Mayor Frank Johnson said town officials met with the transit system. ‘‘They were actually out at our council meeting last Monday [July 7] and talking about it.”

‘‘Given gas prices, and given peoples’ need to get around, it seems to really make some sense,” Johnson said. ‘‘If we were able to link up, you wouldn’t necessarily need to drive to get to other areas. ... Given the price of everything and the lack of any other alternatives for that type of travel, it just makes some sense.”

Johnson said he thinks a Mount Airy route would provide people with more opportunities. ‘‘We have a lot of people that would want to travel to Westminster and other areas of the county.”

People need to consider the pros and cons, he said. ‘‘The one thing you would weigh is how far you are going. You have to weigh not only cost, but also reliability; that’s certainly a factor; the cost of gasoline, that’s a factor.

‘‘At a dollar a ride, it’s a hard value to beat.”