Heinline named to ‘Who's Who’
Cody Dalton,
07-29-2010
What he first thought to be a scam actually turned out to be an honor for Pulaski Area Transit (PAT) Manager Gary Heinline.
Heinline recently learned he was named to the Presidential Who's Who list for excellence in his field.
"I was proud to think that someone out there thinks I'm doing a good job," Heinline said of the honor. "Someone sent my name in and I don't know who, but (they) must think we are doing a good job" for the towns, county and local senior services. "It is humbling to receive something like this."
The Presidential Who's Who list honors individuals who have "reached a level of recognizable success in their respective field."
Since the inception of PAT in October 2004, the organization has seen extensive growth in its business. In June 2009, PAT added a Dublin route, then expanded services to Fairlawn three months later.
Business has "grown very rapidly," Heinline said. "We started out with 25 people a day and now we are regularly (transporting) over 300 people a day. It goes to show the method we have used of picking people up at their homes rather than relying on bus stops has worked."
Two years ago, PAT was recognized by the Federal Transit Administration for increased patronage. From 2008 to 2009, PAT saw a 56% increase in riders, from 4,774 patrons to 7,425.
Heinline credits one simple philosophy for PAT's success:
"People will use public transportation if it is convenient for them. It doesn't cost us any more to provide the (personalized) service than it does to have a bus stop. The buses will be running 16 hours a day. Whether they are running in a circle going to bus stops or zig zag, it makes no difference. It is the number of hours you actually run that makes the difference. If you are running the same number of hours, it doesn't cost you any more."
The organization continues to explore methods of expansion, including looking into future partnerships with Blacksburg Transit and Roanoke's Smart Way Buses. Such a partnership would create the ability for patrons to travel throughout Southwest and Central Virginia.
Heinline's name will appear in the 2011 edition of the Presidential Who's Who book, which is registered through the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
For more information on the Presidential Who's Who, visit the Web site at www.presidentialwhoswho.org.
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