Bulloch County Commissioners agreed several months ago to put aside money for a regional transportation service. Barbara Hurst, the director of transportation for the Coastal Regional Commission recently discussed the transportation program with Phil Boyum on his “Mornings unPHILtered” show.
      The Coastal Regional Commission is a quasi-governmental agency that works for city and county governments in 10 counties and 35 cities in southeast Georgia providing government services, mapping and geographical information systems, aging services and transportation services.
      Bulloch County pays the agency $1 per person that uses the transportation services. The van program is expected to cost Bulloch some $17,000 per year.
      Started in 1999, the Regional Commission started working with the Georgia Department of Transportation and the Georgia Department of Human Services to expand their program in August of 2009. Bulloch joined the program in July.
      The service requires riders to call at least 24 hours in advance to schedule a trip. The cost is $3 one-way or $6 round-trip within the county's boundaries.
      To go to a destination beyond Bulloch County borders costs passenger an additional $3 per county boundary crossed on a one-way trip. To arrange transportation, call 1-866-543-6744.
      To make the reservation, you will be asked for a starting point. A dispatcher will then schedule the trip requested. Rides can be scheduled to the beauty shop, the grocery store, or even to a movie by calling. Reservations also can be made on the agency’s website at http://crc.ga.gov.
      Hurst said there is also another program available called the regional van pool program. It is for at least seven employees of a company who are traveling to a single location at least 10 miles away, which allows one of the people to drive a van, with as many as 15 employees in the same vehicle.
      For more information about the van pool program, contact John Watkins at (912) 262-2833 or email him at jwatkins@crc.ga.gov., or go to their website at www.vanride.com.