10/07/2022
Tribal Transit like us!!
Tribal Transit Spotlight – Cherokee Transit
Cherokee Transit (http://www.cherokeetransit.com/) is operated by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) and provides public transportation services for the town of Cherokee, North Carolina and the Qualla community, which includes Big Cove, Birdtown, and Wolftown/Soco. The agency’s Mobility Division provides service for medical appointments in Cherokee and nearby towns, and transportation to the dialysis center for patients. Medical transportation is available for Snowbird residents. Transit service began in 1997, as a partnership between Swain County and the newly formed Tribal Transit program along with Tsali Manor Senior Center to provide rides for Tribal elders. And the service has certainly grown from there to own 21 vehicles and employ 24 drivers that provide about 87,000 trips per year.
Cherokee Transit provides fixed deviated route services and specialized medical trips. However, this does not describe the lengths the transit agency goes to make sure their riders are connected to critical medical care. Their dedicated drivers have taken people as far as Macon, Georgia, and travel anywhere from 10 minutes to 5 hours to take riders to medical care. Their drivers start at 4:00 AM to take patients to dialysis appointments, with a friendly “good morning” to the riders they get to know personally and develop a rapport with.
The agency also assists participants in the Analenisgi (“They are Beginning”) program with the local hospital to provide free trips for clients recovering from substance abuse. Clients also ride to participate in the Mother Town program where they perform community work, learn gardening skills, and other volunteer opportunities that really help with their successful recovery.
There have been many wins for the agency over the years, including becoming direct recipients of FTA rural and Tribal transit funding. They work closely with neighboring counties and these relationships were key in a successful dispatch implementation. One of the current projects the agency is very excited about is an electronic fare card system they are working on and plan to roll out soon.
Cherokee Transit Program Manager Kristin Lane and Assistant Manager Kevin Tafoya are proud of all their staff, their drivers, their mobility group, and everyone who makes the extra effort, so the service is always running smoothly. Both Kristin and Kevin believe that transportation for our community should not come with barriers. Transit is here “To Provide Safe and Dependable Transportation at a Reasonable Cost to the Residents and Visitors of the Qualla Boundary.”
