Shore Transit proposes changes for rural routes

In Salisbury, changes could be coming to Shore Transit routes by January 1st.

The changes could affect regular transit riders on fixed routes and riders coming from rural areas throughout Worcester, Wicomico, and Somerset Counties. 

Before changes are finalized though — the Shore Transit wants to hear from the public. That's why Shore Transit held a public hearing Thursday evening. 

It's the final stage of the process before the company makes new changes to their system.

The first topic being discussed is switching the transit's fixed routes to make them all go in a continuous loop.
That would get rid of transfer buses and the one dollar fee that comes with it.

The other topic up for discussion is reducing bus routes to rural areas, which is a concern for those who rely on the transit everyday. 

"80 percent of the people riding our bus have to ride our bus." 

Shore Transit provides about 350,000 trips to Eastern Shore residents each year. It provides not just fixed routes but other services as well called origin of destination.

These are routes for those with disabilities, seniors, and even folks who live in rural areas. 

"So what we would normally do with that is go out in the rural area pick somebody up and bring them to a fixed bus stop so they can go do whatever they need to do on this system and then take them back," says Transit director Brad Bellacicco.

It's a service Deal Island resident Craig Webster relies on since he doesn't have a car. 

"For me I come here to Princess Anne everyday and I take Shore Transit because we don't have any cab or bus service on Deal Island other than Shore Transit." 

Currently Shore Transit provides these rides five days a week, but a study found the company was doing more than they are supposed to for these types of rides. 

"We're looking at doing it, we haven't made a decision yet we're going to get the input but possibly having areas set up and we will do this area Monday and Wednesday and this area Tuesday and Thursday so everybody can get rides," says Bellacicco.

It's a change Webster hopes doesn't happen. 

"People in a rural area need more of the transit than the people in the city, they've got other alternatives we don't have any on Deal Island," explains Webster. 

Shore Transit says it's a change they may have to make because of funding issues. 

"I was looking at one gentleman today who lives out on Deal Island and he wants to come into town five days a week. Well for him to run that five times a week in October, he would have taken eight percent of the funding that we had," adds Bellacicco. 

Now these new changes aren't set in stone yet, Shore Transit tells 47 ABC that Thursday's public hearing could sway these shifts in routes.

Now if these proposed changes are approved, they will be implemented and in place by January 2, 2018.