BRIEF

Mar 6, 2010 — Hickory Daily Record

Mar. 6, 2010 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- HICKORY

The Western Piedmont Regional Transit Authority will get $138,568 from the federal government for operating expenses.

The money was announced by U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. The money comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The transit authority is a partnership of Alexander, Burke, Caldwell and Catawba counties, plus Hickory, Newton and Conover.

It is North Carolina's first regional public transportation authority with consolidated urban-rural transit service.

The transit authority operates the rural and urban transit systems in the four-county area.

The four systems combined into a single entity are:

Alexander County Transportation, a county-operated system.

Burke County Transit Administration Inc., a nonprofit agency.

Caldwell County Area Transit System Inc., a nonprofit agency.

Piedmont Wagon Transit System, operated by the city of Hickory, community transportation to county residents and fixed-route service for the cities of Hickory, Newton and Conover.

For more information, go to www.mygreenway.org, or call 464-9444.

Newstex ID: KRTB-0300-42637779