McDowell County to study van expansion and expands express transit zone after surge in denied rides

Jason Holofield presented the county’s annual transit report at the Feb. 9 meeting, saying the system logged about 275,000 miles and handled more than 30,000 passenger trips last year.

Holofield told the board the agency is “at capacity,” reporting 6,105 cancellations and 2,192 denied rides in the most recent year. He said cancellations and no-shows tie up vans and staff time and that the agency’s prior tightening of no‑show rules helped, but cancellations remain a major operational problem.

To address demand, Holofield asked the board to allow staff to begin the formal procurement process for expansion vans (expansion vans require a 20% county match). He recommended starting the information and application work now because vehicle lead times are about two years; the board approved beginning the review process.

Holofield also proposed expanding the express service zone westward to include Old Fort to capture unmet demand for express trips. He said express previously carried 3,200 rides from May through December and that adding a third van increased ridership by roughly 150 passengers per month. The board moved and approved expansion of the express zone to Old Fort.

Holofield warned that expansion of routes can help but will not fully eliminate denied rides without more vehicles and drivers. He said there are grant opportunities and that expansion vans paid with state funds remain in state replacement pools, which affects long‑term replacement planning.

No specific funding was approved at the meeting; the board authorized staff to gather information and return with a formal proposal for approval.