About Greenway Public Transportation
We offer high-quality transportation services to the citizens of the Unifour!
Who We Are
The legal name of the system is Western Piedmont Regional Transit Authority. The Authority's Board of Directors selected the new system name in November 2008. The new name is symbolic of the system's role with regard to providing environmentally responsible transportation solutions and enhancing the overall quality of life within the region.
Greenway Public Transportation provides around 250,000 boardings each year to residents living in Alexander, Burke, Caldwell and Catawba County. Greenway is a responsible transportation solution and an excellent way to build a cleaner, more vibrant, healthier and less congested community.
Our Mission
"Greenway Public Transportation’s mission is to enhance the quality of life in the region by delivering safe, convenient and more environmentally efficient transportation solutions."
Greenway Vision and Values
Vision: "Transit as an attractive, and competitive alternative to the automobile."
Values: "Our commitment to One Another and Our Customers."
Our values consist of: quality, teamwork, integrity, and public service.
These values set the standards for performance.
Quality: Provide safe, high-quality transportation services to all customers, and continually strive to improve the organization and its services.
Teamwork: Promote cooperative relationships within the organization, an employee supportive work environment and strong partnerships with the general public, business and other public agencies.
Integrity: Ensure cost-effective and efficient use of resources, maintain transparent business practices, and deliver on promises.
Public Service: Provide social, economic, and environmental benefits to the community through system operations and improvements, and promote community awareness of these contributions.
Our History
On July 1, 2008, the Western Piedmont Regional Transit Authority officially came into being and became the first rural, urban regional transit Authority in the State of North Carolina.
The Western Piedmont Regional Transit Authority operates as Greenway Public Transportation. It provides van service to residents of Alexander, Burke, Caldwell and Catawba Counties, and bus service to residents in the cities of Conover, Hickory, and Newton.
The Greenway story began in 2001 when the staff at Caldwell County Area Transit undertook a feasibility study to evaluate the benefits of creating a regional transit system. This study was completed in 2004 and identified advantages to creating a regional system, including: the ability to create seamless connections, an opportunity to bring more transit funding to the region, potential cost reduction and economy of scales, and quality improvements through the development of a more specialized staff.
From feasibility to implementation, the study moved forward in 2005 when the City of Hickory applied for funding to study the implementation of a consolidated regional transit system. A consortium guided the study effort and included the Managers of Alexander, Burke, Caldwell and Catawba Counties; the City Managers from Conover, Hickory and Newton, as well as a representative from the Western Piedmont Council of Governments.
The implementation plan was completed in 2007 and by September 2007 consortium members signed a resolution agreeing to create a new regional transit Authority. Between January 2008 and June 2008, the new organization was staffed and actions necessary to establish the new entity were completed.
On July 1, 2008 the Western Piedmont Regional Transit Authority officially came into being and became the first rural, urban regional transit Authority in the State of North Carolina.
WPRTA/Greenway Board of Directors
Every member of our board of directors is a local leader who has made significant contributions to our community.
Each one brings a unique set of skills and expertise to our organization.
Chair Mr. Donald Duncan
County Manager of Caldwell County
Vice-Chair Ms. Karen Dickerson
Community Development Manager at the City of Hickory
Secretary Ms. Mary Furtado
County Manager of Catawba County
Treasurer Mr. Sean Hovis
Assistant City Manager of the City of Newton
Mr. Alan Glines
Burke County Assistant County Manager
Mr. Tom Hart
City Manager of Conover
Board Attorney Ms. Terry Taylor
Young, Morphis, Bach, and Taylor, LLP
Board Meeting Information and Transportation Advisory Board
Greenway Public Transportation is a Regional Transit Authority formed under Chapter 160A, Article 25, North Carolina State Statutes. The primary purpose of Greenway Public Transportation is to administer, manage and operate fixed route bus service and demand-response service, in and around the Unifour region.
Greenway Public Transportation is under the direction of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors is made up of representatives from each of the member agencies.
Board meetings are open to the public. Unless otherwise noted, the Board Meetings are held at the Greenway Public Transportation office located at 1515 4th Street S.W., Conover N.C. 28613. The office may be accessed by riding the Fixed Route Bus # 5 - Tate Boulevard Route (bus information 828-465-7634) or calling Greenway to schedule a ride on the Dial-A-Ride service at 828-464-9444.
Contact Michael Bowman for more information at 828-465-7642.
Upcoming Meeting Dates: The Board of Directors board meetings are held on the third Thursday of the month at 10:00 a.m. at 1515 4th St. S.W., Conover, NC 28613.
Transportation Advisory Board
Unless otherwise noted, the TAB Board Meetings are held at the Greenway Public Transportation offices located at 1515 4th Street S.W., Conover N.C. 28613. This facility may be reached by taking the Fixed Route Bus # 5 - Tate Boulevard Route (bus information 828-465-7634) or calling Greenway to schedule a ride on the Dial-A-Ride service at 828-464-9444. The meeting dates are the third Tuesday of the month in January, April, July, and October, at 2:00 p.m.
For more information or to fill out an application regarding the Transportation Advisory Board contact Michael Bowman at 828-465-7642.
Transit Planning
The planning staff is responsible for developing and analyzing service and schedule plans, including near-future transit service alternatives, intermediate-range service plans, and long-range service concepts. They also analyze and assist in the preparation of transit schedules and fare policies and are responsible for adding and improving bus stop amenities.
Feedback
If you would like to provide your feedback on any aspect of Greenway Public Transportation service, including improving current routes or suggesting new routes or stop locations, please fill out the online customer feedback form.
Current and Ongoing Projects
Community Transportation Service Plan - The CTSP Plan was approved by the WPRTA Board of Directors in September. The plan outlines key initiatives to improve the effectiveness of the Authority and its services over the next five years. This plan is required by the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
Locally Coordinated Plan
The Locally Coordinated Transportation Plan outlines the coordination of transportation service and the delivery of public transportation service in the four counties of Alexander, Burke, Caldwell and Catawba.
The Local Coordinated Plan has two goals: The first is to respond to federal legislation requiring the development of a coordinated public transit plan in order to receive applicable federal funding to support the delivery of services for the general public, persons with disabilities, the elderly and persons of low-income status. Secondly, Western Piedmont Regional Transit Authority (WPRTA) operating as Greenway Public Transportation is interested in identifying potential strategies to enhance the delivery of service in the four-county service area. The plan is updated every four years.