Bolivar County transit system marks 50 years of rural service

Bolivar County Council on Aging is marking 50 years of rural transit, with 79,890 annual unlinked trips and 45 vehicles in maximum service in its 2023 annual agency profile. For riders in Bolivar County and nearby Delta communities, those trips connect them to doctors, hospitals, grocery stores, pharmacies, workplaces, government offices, schools and senior services.

The system serves the general public and specialized populations, with transportation available by request and 48-hour notice. Its public contact numbers include 662-846-6161 and 601-665-2966, and its vision is to provide an enhanced quality of life through transportation excellence. On its website, Bolivar County Council on Aging marks the milestone as Celebrating 50 Years of Service and Moving People, Enhancing Lives!

Seniors, people with disabilities and residents without reliable vehicles face that reality most, because a ride can determine whether a doctor’s visit, a grocery run or a trip to a government office happens at all. Mrs. Shirley Wilson was BCCOA’s public transit director in a 2015 Federal Transit Administration profile. LaShonda McKinney is executive director on the agency’s staff page.

Citizens in Rome and Drew took the first ride on the Healthy Destination Access ride-sharing service on June 15, 2021, in a partnership that included BCCOA and the Mississippi State University Extension Service. The pilot appeared in a national article about expanding access to food for rural older adults.

MDOT’s rural transit directory listed BCCOA as a Section 5311 rural general public transportation contractor serving Bolivar County and nearby counties including Coahoma, Humphreys, Sunflower, Tunica and Washington.