The new bus route in northwest Norman was a success, according to those who rode Monday.
It was the first day of Cleveland Area Rapid Transit's West Norman Link, which serves 36th Avenue Northwest, Tecumseh Road and 24th Avenue Northwest and links to the Main Street route.
On the first day of the West Norman Link, about 50 people had ridden the bus by 4 p.m., CART spokesperson Kris Glenn said.
Compare that to the 14 people who rode CART's Little Axe/Thunderbird Shuttle on its first day last year, and that number becomes even more impressive. The system's most popular route, Main Street, transports about 100 people each day, Glenn said.
About 30 of those 50 riders Monday were first-time CART customers, he said.
"Many people in northwest Norman have ridden the bus for the first time," Glenn said.
Some of the riders stopped at the Norman Regional HealthPlex.
"We're delighted that we have a CART connection to the HealthPlex for those that have a difficult time with transportation," Norman Regional Health System spokesperson Brenda Finkle said.
Glenn said most of the first-time bus riders Monday lived along the route. They rode to find out how the system worked and where the bus went, he said.
Those who went to work at businesses along the route also began taking advantage of it Monday.
"We actually have a stop directly in front of our business," said Melissa Fontenot, human resources manager at Top of the World, 3001 36th Ave. NW. She and three of her coworkers rode to Target, 1400 24th Ave. NW, to get ice cream at Coldstone Creamery on their lunch breaks.
"It was pretty fun," Fontenot said. "It was a nice ride and the CART buses were really nice."
Last week, Glenn came to Top of the World to inform employees about the new bus route. Fontenot said she expects a lot of employees to use the West Norman Link.
"Everybody seems to be really excited about it," she said.
The West Norman Link is the first step in the implementation of CART and the City of Norman's long-range transportation plan, Glenn said. Future improvements include more routes, later service hours, Sunday service and the transition from loops to more frequent linear routes, he said.
"As CART continues to receive the necessary funding it will expand its service," Glenn said.
Julianna Parker Jones 366-3541 jparker@normantranscript.com
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New CART route serving west Norman opens
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