Program Gives Lift to Commuting
Published Dec 04, 2008
Residents of remote areas in Falls and McLennan counties can now take public transportation to jobs in Waco, a new initiative that has the backing of local businesses.
The new routes started in November 2007 and monthly ridership already has exceeded the goals, says Julie Talbert, special projects coordinator at the Heart of Texas Workforce Board. In July 2008, 1,200 passengers used the buses; the goal was 1,000 at the end of the first year.
Called “6 to Success,” the project is a joint effort between the Workforce Board and the Waco Transit system. It runs six roundtrips, six days a week, making three stops in Marlin and one at Riesel City Hall. The line ends at the Waco transit station, where workers can transfer to other buses.
One new line connects the transit station to the Sanderson Farms processing plant, which opened in August 2007. Sanderson Farms kicked in $5,000 as a sponsor to help get 6 for Success on the road.
“It really does help our employees save money on gas, at $4 a gallon,” says Jackie Allen, the poultry processing plant’s human resources director.
In July 2008, 400 of the company’s 900 workers used the bus from the transit station, she says. The service has expanded the labor pool for Sanderson Farms and other major employers in the region.
“It’s opened up a whole different avenue for us,” Allen says.
The $1 million project got a $500,000 boost from a federal grant passed through the state Department of Transportation. Local government and businesses came up with the rest.
Marlin, in Falls County, and Riesel, in McLennan, are on Texas Highway 6. Marlin is only 25 miles from Waco but “it may as well be 100” for residents who might not be able to afford to operate a car, Talbert says.
Access to transportation means access to jobs and education. Other sponsor partners include Falls Community Hospital and Clinic, Texas Star Bank, Texas State Technical College and Citizens State Bank.
New goals include adding other towns to the route and extending service into the evening to accommodate workers on later shifts and in the hospitality industry.
Story by Pamela Coyle
Current Weather Conditions In Waco, TX (76702)
Cloudy, and 63 ° F. For more details?
Click here...
