NORMAN — Beginning Thursday, CART is adjusting four of its routes and disability services to withstand a 26 percent decrease in funding from the city of Norman.
Because of a more than $100,000 deficit for the 2010-2011 fiscal year, CART will eliminate two of the four current daily runs on the Little Axe Link route that provides access to the rural east Norman area, according to a press release.
It also will discontinue stops in Lexington and Noble on the Cleveland County Express that now goes to Lexington, Noble and the Social Security Administration in Moore.
The West Norman Link route that debuted in late 2009 will no longer operate until 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and will not run at all on Saturday.
The new hours and days of service are 8:15 a.m. to 7:15 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The Sooner Express commuter route that goes from Norman to Oklahoma City seven times a day Monday through Friday will no longer include its 11:35 a.m. run that departs from the University of Oklahoma’s South Oval.
CART director Doug Myers said the reduction in service was a difficult process for transit staff, as well as city officials.
“It is not easy making decisions that affect the way people get to work, school and medical appointments, but through feedback from the public through two community meetings, as well as numerous phone calls and e-mails from riders, I am confident the changes CART is making will have a minimal impact,” he said.
Myers said no changes will be made to the CARTaccess primary zone and only slight adjustments in the secondary zone.
The CARTaccess primary zone is considered by the Federal Transit Administration to be within 3/4-mile of any regular bus route and is mandatory for transit agencies across the country.
The secondary zone is optional for public transportation systems to offer, but CART does so on a voluntary basis to everywhere within the Norman city limits Monday through Friday.
CARTaccess will continue to provide secondary zone rides four days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.
For more information regarding CART service changes, call 325-CART (2278) or visit www.RideCART.com.
