| New stops added to WAVE Columbus Connector | |||
By JEFFERSON WEAVER Need a ride to work? The Columbus Connector, a joint effort between the Cape Fear Public Transportation Authority and Columbus Transportation, has added stops to its route in Columbus County. Transportation director Charles Patton said the program began as a way to help Wilmington developers add workers to several anticipated projects. “Our commissioners were talking with their board,” he said, “and Wilmington was looking at a lack of workers for a couple of large building projects, like the PPD building downtown. We had a lot of unemployed people, so it seemed like a good plan.” While the system doesn’t carry an overwhelming number of new employees to Wilmington jobsites, it does get regular usage, Patton said. “The need just didn’t hit all at once,” he said. The slow but steady growth of the program encouraged both counties to add stops, Patton explained. The connector started ferrying local workers to the Leland Industrial Park Aug. 20. The buses stop in Whiteville, Bolton, Hallsboro, Lake Waccamaw, and Wilmington. For $3 each way, and $1 for each transfer, workers can catch a bus to Wilmington between 5 a.m. and 6:49 a.m., depending on location, and return between 6:14 and 7:43 p.m. The shuttle arrivals in Wilmington are timed to meet with regular Wilmington WAVE transportation buses to different areas in the city. Patton said Southeastern Community College, the Employment Security Commission and other groups are spreading the word about the program to qualified job applicants. Some job seekers can catch rides on the connector to job interviews in the Wilmington area. “This is funded entirely through a state grant administered by WAVE,” Patton said. “There’s absolutely no local money involved, but it’s a great chance for people who want good jobs.” For more information, call Columbus County Transportation at 642-7201, WAVE at 343-0106, or log on to www.wavetransit.com.
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