By Julianna Parker

Transcript Staff Writer

Despite rainy weather, 14 passengers rode Cleveland Area Rapid Transit’s Little Axe/Thunderbird Shuttle on its inaugural day Wednesday.

CART welcomed passengers aboard the first day of service with free fare and a ridership certificate, but it was the initiation of public transportation to Little Axe and rural east Norman that excited riders, CART spokesperson Kris Glenn said in an e-mail.

A doctor who practices at the Absentee Shawnee Tribe Medical Clinic in Little Axe was the first rider, boarding the bus at the South Oval on the University of Oklahoma campus for the first run at 8:30 a.m.

He said not only is he using the route for the 36-mile round-trip commute but also that he is encouraging his patients who travel from Norman to do the same by scheduling medical appointments on Mondays and Wednesdays, the two days each week the route operates, Glenn said.

A man and a woman awaiting the bus at Highway 9 East and 108th Avenue SE both jumped up and down as the bus stopped, Glenn said. The woman joyously shook her fist in the air as she entered the vehicle and let out a jubilant “Finally,” followed by “Thank you.”

Norman City Councilwoman Rachel Butler, who represents Little Axe and rural east Norman and who was instrumental in beginning the shuttle, was on board for the entire first round-trip from Norman to Little Axe, greeting her constituents who rode the route, Glenn said.

One rural east Norman man took advantage of multiple CART routes by boarding the Little Axe/Thunderbird Shuttle and then transferring to the Alameda/East Norman route to reach the Norman Farm Market. Another woman stayed on the OU campus all day as she used the route to commute to work, Glenn said.

The Little Axe Community Center, which is the farthest stop east on the route, celebrated the shuttle by offering drinks and snacks to those waiting for the bus.

The route features three round-trips from Norman to Little Axe and rural east Norman every Monday and Wednesday.

While the first day was free, the regular fare will be 50 cents.

Also on Wednesday, CART’s CARTaccess service transported a record number of passengers.

CARTaccess, the origin-to-destination system for those who cannot independently use the regular bus routes because of disability or age, tallied its highest one-day total ever by providing 195 rides, surpassing the previous record of 190 that was set in August 2006.

CARTaccess supervisor June Van Cleve attributed the successful day to the drivers in a press release Thursday.

“This would not have been possible without the hard work of each and every driver,” Van Cleve said.

What makes the feat even more impressive is the service encompasses all 191 square miles of Norman and it still achieved a 100 percent on-time performance rating, meaning even with increased capacity riders were not late to their destinations, according to a CART press release.

CARTaccess typically transports 140 passengers daily. When the service began more than 20 years ago it averaged about 30 riders each day.

Those eligible for CARTaccess must meet specific Americans with Disabilities Act criteria and complete an application process that includes physician feedback. Approved patrons then schedule rides from an origin to a destination by calling, e-mailing or using the CART Web site. All CARTaccess vehicles are lift-equipped to accommodate mobility devices such as wheelchairs, walkers and all drivers are trained in transporting those with disabilities.

The fare for CARTaccess service within 3/4 of a mile of an existing CART bus route is $1 per ride, while anything exceeding that boundary is $2.50. CARTaccess operates Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

For more information on CART or CARTaccess, visit www.ridecart.com or call 325-CART.

Julianna Parker

366-3541

jparker@normantranscript.com