Handitran celebrates 25 years as the
city’s special transportation service provider for senior citizens and
residents with disabilities.
At 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, January 24 2006, the Arlington
City Council issued a proclamation recognizing Handitran for its
service to the community. Celebrations in February 2006 included a
Driver and Employee Appreciation Day and ceremony at the Handitran
Main Office on Feb. 2 2006.
Throughout February 2006, Handitran celebrated its
25th Anniversary with commemorative souvenirs for
passengers.
In 2005, the door-to-door, shared ride service
recorded nearly 105,000 trips within the city limits of Arlington and Pantego. Approximately 95.9 percent of the trips were completed on
time. About 30 percent of the trips transported passengers to the
workplace, while 27 percent were for medical reasons.
Transportation Manager Juanita Bridges said the
Handitran service allows passengers to maintain their independence.
"In 25 years, we've seen passengers begin and
complete college, start families and be successful in their careers –
important tasks that would have been very difficult, if not impossible
for them to do without Handitran," Bridges said. "We are their life
line to the community."
Handitran began service in 1981 with four buses and
seven employees and completed just over 12,000 trips in its first year
of operation. Today, 17 buses and seven taxis serve more than 2,300
passengers.
