Psst...Need
a ride?
 Pueblo of Zuni residents can take advantage of the shuttle bus service
by ZEE Inc. that transports them from the pueblo to a variety of locations,
such as the daily stops at the University of New Mexico-Gallup
by Pamela G. Dempsey
Staff Writer
ZUNI — Getting a job wasn't the hard part, it was the
getting there.
That was, until Zuni Entrepreneurial Enterprises Inc. started driving.
"There was a large unmet need," said Larry Alflen, executive director
of the organization. "So, we decided to start the program."
Now 10 years later, the service is providing an average of 4,000 rides per
month and operates 10 vans, hauling residents of the Pueblo of Zuni to work,
school,
and doctor's appointments.
"New Mexico has such a huge need for transportation statewide," Alflen
said. "Transportation is the single largest barrier for employment."
The non-profit organization has several programs geared toward the community
but its transportation program was given a further boost in 1996 with a grant
from the Community Transportation Association of America, which profiled Zuni's
service in a video last year. The State of New Mexico also gives a majority
of funding through federal Urban and Rural Transportation Development.
"(The CTAA) allowed us to expand our work-related transportation and start
addressing people's needs," Alflen said.
"Who else would have taken care (of the people) if we weren't here," said
Terry Wyaco, a long-time dispatcher for ZEE Transportation. "The best
thing (about this) is we complete the pickup."
Which is part of its success.
"The number one success has been getting the people to work," Alflen
said, "Getting them to the Gallup branch to further their education is
a huge part of what we do."
Using codes and numbers it seems only dispatchers would understand, Wyaco schedules
and confirms pick-ups and drop-offs between drivers and residents. Learning
the street numbers and names, he said, was a challenge.
"We all had to start somewhere," Wyaco said, who is known as friendly
guy with a sense of humor.
The biggest challenge to the program, Alflen said, was finding enough money
to meet the need.
"The cost of transportation is significant," he said. "There's
lot of miles (put on the) vehicles in short amount of time- replacing them
takes a number of years."
"I think the service is going to continue to grow," Alflen said. "I
really see us linking into other transportation programs. We can more effectively
serve the area if we can better coordinate what we do."
|
Weekend
March 6 , 2004
Selected Stories:
Suit
alleges school official is a racist
HRI
president defends uranium mining process
Chinle
students ROC steady!
A
chicken in every pot?
Psst...Need a ride?
Richardson
signs several education bills
Cattlemen want to beef up sales
Deaths |
