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Q. Almost every time I see a PART bus on the highway it appears to be almost empty. What is the percentage of ridership versus capacity? How much money does PART take in from the various cities, counties and other levels of government? What is the cost to operate this system compared with revenue at the fare box? What is the justification for sending buses to such distant places as Boone? — Anonymous

A. The Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation is an 11-year-old regional transit agency that provides bus service linking the Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem transit systems so residents of the different cities can use public transportation most effectively. It operates a regional terminal near Piedmont Triad International Airport for commuters traveling between the three cities. It also runs  commuter buses from such outlying communities as Mount Airy, Lexington, Thomasville, Asheboro and Yadkinville to and from the three larger cities.
 

Brent McKinney, PART’s executive director, said the question about empty or near-empty buses is one he hears frequently. To see full PART buses, you need to look during the early-morning or late-afternoon rush hours when the commuter service is fulfilling its primary mission of getting people throughout the region to and from work, he said.
 

During “off-peak” hours, PART sidelines most of its buses and runs only a skeleton fleet, necessary to serve the unforeseen needs of commuters (i.e., someone who gets ill at work) as well as people without other means of travel who need to get somewhere during hours most transit riders are at work, McKinney said.
 

The question about percentage of ridership versus capacity is difficult to answer because it varies so much, McKinney said. During peak hours, many PART buses are between 80 percent full and standing-room-only. At times of low demand, buses run with many seats empty, he acknowledged.
 

On the financial end, McKinney said PART receives no money directly from any city or county government. It took in $2.8 million last year from a special tax on rental cars in its 10-county domain. Federal and state governments provide an additional $1.7 million, and PART earns $770,000 per year from the fare box, for a total of $5.2 million in revenues last year.
 

McKinney said PART’s operating costs were $4.1 million last year. The system’s surplus revenue is put back into the transit system.
 

PART travels to Boone, Mount Airy and Lexington partly because these cities have been designated by the federal government as under-served, meaning that otherwise they would have no regularly scheduled bus link with the rest of the region. The Mount Airy route is so popular among commuters that PART operates six buses per day on it during rush hours.
 

The Boone bus is used extensively by Appalachian State University students from the Triad and their parents, McKinney said. The U.S. Department of Transportation recruited PART to provide service to Boone and covers its cost in full.
 

Bottom line? McKinney said regional transit is a public service no different than drinking water. People rightfully expect it to be there when they need it, no matter how many others might need it at the same time.