Rachel Moon from Bellefonte used to take an Uber or the bus to work every single day.
Now with the new ride share program CATAGO! she’s been getting rides from a van.
“This is my sixth time,” Moon, said.
CATAGO! became available to the public this past Saturday,
Moon likes this option because it’s flexible with her time and needs.
“I use it for work everyday, and I just use it for grocery shopping, cause’ I think Walmart’s a little cheaper to get stuff from and you can’t beat $2 a ride, whereas Lyft it would cost $20 to go from here to there,” Moon, said.
The ride share program through the Centre Area Transportation Authority (CATA) allows people in State College or Bellefonte to call CATA and schedule a ride.
“We can actually watch where the vehicle is at any given time as it comes towards us,” Jacqueline Sheader, Public Relations Specialist at CATA, said.
CATAGO! picks up riders at their homes in Bellefonte and drops them off at the Bryce Jordan Center at Curtain Rd., at Mount Nittany Medical Centre or at the Benner Pike Walmart.
Also, someone in State College, living within the programs route could be dropped off at any Bellefonte stop between the Centre County Corrections Facility and Weis Markets in Bellefonte.
Jacqueline Sheader with CATA says the program could even make a big difference on Penn State Football game days.
Providing riders another ride share option that could be faster for passengers than going on the bus.
“The bus is required to make a lot of stops along the way, and here, there’s only seven per vehicle, at any given time, so there’s a lot less stopping, a lot less delays in your trip,” Sheader, said.
CATAGO! is a pilot program going through August.
At that time, CATA will decide if it’s being received well and if there’s a need to expand the service.
“I definitely hope it continues past the pilot,” Moon, said.
You can order the ride though the transloc app, through the CATA bus website or by calling (814) 237-1821.