April 7, 2023
Open Plains Transit held an open house and ribbon cutting on February 3, 2023, to celebrate their rebrand and new service offered in Valentine, Nebraska.
Previously known as Panhandle Trails Intercity Public Transit, OPT is offering this new rural public transit service to everyone in Valentine and has been operating on a soft launch since November 15, 2022. OPT is a part of the 53 rural transit agencies providing this much needed service to rural Nebraskans.
There were several speakers at the open house including Corinne Donahue with the Nebraska Department of Transportation Mobility Management team. Donahue described how Open Plains Transit was created after a long period of hard work.
NDOT Transit Manager Kari Ruse said, “It takes a transit champion to make things happen” and that is exactly what OPT Transit Manager Jonnie Kusek is and she played a major role in making this new transit service happen in Valentine, Nebraska.
Kusek spoke about working with the Senior Services, Inc., board of directors and the discussion about adding service in Valentine. The board asked “Really, Valentine? Do you think we can do it?” to which Jonnie replied, “If we don’t, who’s going to?”
OPEN PLAINS TRANSIT
Phone: 402-389-2975
Office Hours: Monday-Friday 9 A.M.-4 P.M. (CT)
Transportation Operations: Monday-Friday 7 A.M.-4 P.M. (CT) with earlier transportation contingent upon availability
Reservations are requested 24 hours in advance. Same day requests are contingent upon availability after 10:30 A.M. (CT).
Others that spoke about how the project started and how pleased they are to see it become a reality include Shane Siewert, city manager in Valentine, Andrew Johnson, an attorney in Valentine, and Susan Cook, superintendent of the Niobrara National Scenic River.
Kyle Kellum, CEO of Cherry County Hospital, said “Although Open Plains Transit helps get people to their medical appointments and get health care workers to and from work, it is not just for hospital services. It’s the right thing for the community and they feel very fortunate to be a part of it.”
Studio Six out of Longmont, Colorado, designed the rebranded logo and vehicle wraps for Open Plains Transit. Founder and Creative Director Traci Jones said, “What’s incredible about the people in this room is, everyone collaborated. The number of people here today who worked to get this launched is a testament to the passion of this community.”
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