Published: July 02, 2009 08:39 pm      

Buses still rolling in Cedar Bluff

CEDAR BLUFF, Va. — A Tazewell County community that was facing the loss of its bus service will see buses picking up local passengers for another year.

The Town of Cedar Bluff, Va. and Four County Transit, which serves Tazewell and Buchanan counties, have signed a contract for another year of service, said Neva Bryan, public relations director for the bus service and its owner, the Appalachian Agency for Senior Citizens.

“They resumed service at noon Wednesday,” Bryan said.

Under the contract, the bus service will continue from July 1 this year until June 30, 2010.

Many of the passengers who use the bus–up to 25 a day–are senior citizens and other residents who do not own their own vehicles nor have any other means of transportation.

“Well, I got to go out this morning and get to my doctor’s appointment,” said Candy Shrader, 43, of Cedar Bluff. “We only missed like half a day of service.”

The town was facing the loss of service because it could not pay a monthly $600 local match. Federal and state funding cover the bus system’s expenses. A lose of $220,000 in county funding and the need to create a new fire department had strained the town’s budget, Mayor Johnny Smith said when the loss of bus service was pending.

Smith was not available for additional comment Thursday.

— Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com