PARATRANSIT SERVICE FOR MEDICAL TRIPS FROM KILLEEN, COPPERAS COVE, HARKER HEIGHTS AREA TO TEMPLE

The HOP is now accepting reservations from Killeen, Copperas Cove, and Harker Heights area clients who are STS trip eligible to ride HOP STS buses to and from medical trips in Temple.  This is a limited use service, and governed by the following limitations.

 

1.    Only STS clients may schedule trips (other than clients of the Medical Transportation Program (MTP) contract);

2.    Trips may be reserved only on a space available basis and only if MTP clients are already making the trip;

3.    Each trip must be reserved, including return trips;

4.    Trip times are limited, and usually pre-set by the HOP.

Specific trip times for picking up in the Killeen, Copperas Cove, and Harker Heights area and leaving the Temple medical facilities include the following times.  Your actual scheduled pickup time may vary, depending on your location and other passengers traveling on that trip.

                    KILLEEN                   TEMPLE

                     8:30 AM                        9:30 AM

                   10:00 AM                     11:00 AM

                   12:30 PM                        1:30 PM

                     2:00 PM                        3:00 PM

                     3:00 PM                        4:00 PM

                     4:30 PM                        5:30 PM

These trips are limited, and are not guaranteed to operate unless MTP passengers have trips scheduled.  However, the HOP’s experience is that many of these trips will operate each day, and STS passengers will now have a way to travel to Temple for medical appointments, provided the passengers can be flexible with their travel times. 

Please remember trips are for medical purposes only – no other trip purposes will be approved.  Trips may also be scheduled to travel from Temple to the Killeen, Copperas Cove, and Harker Heights area if, and only if, the trip purpose is medical.  For more information, or to schedule a trip, please call the Killeen HOP Scheduling Section at 616-6800, and press option 2 on the automated menu.

HOP Begins New Fixed Route

A new fixed route for the HOP, the Regional Public Transit System operated by Hill Country Transit District, has been developed to better serve southeast Temple.  The new route, scheduled to start November 1, 2007, will be called “Route 520 – South 31^st Street” and will originate on MLK at the Village at Meadowbend housing area. 

After also serving the Country Lane Senior housing area on the Loop near MLK, the route will travel to provide service to these other points: the VA, Scott & White, Wal-Mart, the Mall, and the neighborhood bounded on the east by 31^st Street and on the south by Waters Dairy Road.  Fares and other riding rules will apply to this route, just as they do to the other fixed routes operated by the HOP.

Some of these locations are already served by HOP Route 510, but the new Route 520 will reach the points at times that will result in 30 minute service frequency, rather than the one hour service frequency offered by Route 510 alone.  There is currently no service to the Waters Dairy Road area, the Country Lane Senior area, or the Village at Meadowbend area.

The extra service to the VA, Scott & White, Wal-Mart, and the VA will not only provide more frequent service, it will also serve to alleviate significant overcrowding on the well-traveled Route 510 bus currently serving these busy areas. 

The City of Temple has agreed to contribute half the annual operating cost of the new route, with $60,000 coming from Temple and $60,000 coming via Federal Transit Administration funds.  The City of Temple is also providing $112,000, which represents 20% of the cost of two new fixed route buses.  The new buses will be used to supplement the current HOP fleet of three fixed route buses based in Temple.

Seniors may call 778-3636 for more information.  There is no fare for this nutrition program service. 

For people who need the use of public transit services, but who can not use regular fixed route service because of limitations imposed by mental or physical disabilities, the HOP offers Special Transit Service buses.  An eligibility application must be completed, and each one-way trip requires a $2 fare.  More information is available by calling the HOP at 778-3636.

The new Route 520 will operate about eight hours per day on weekdays only.  The first bus will leave the Village at Meadowbend at 8:52 AM, and the last bus will leave the Village at 4:52 PM.  A map of the new Route 520 and a timetable can be seen on the HOP’s web site at www.takethehop.com.