It’s not New York City’s subway or Chicago’s elevated trains.

It’s not even the New Orleans streetcar line or the RTA buses, but St. Tammany now has its own public transportation.

GoSTAT is shuttling people from all over the parish to doctor’s appointments, part-time jobs, grocery stores and anywhere else they need to go. The service began earlier this year transporting residents from the rural areas of the parish into the cities.

The service is for non-emergency trips, and one must call in and schedule their pick-up time. GoSTAT Rural accepts reservations and cancellations Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. To reserve a pick-up originating in one of the rural areas of the parish, call 649-6956.

On Sept. 1, the program expanded to cover the urban areas of the parish. This includes the cities of Slidell, Covington and Mandeville and parts of Lacombe.

To qualify for this service the trip must originate and end in an urban area.

As with the rural service, one must call ahead and reserve a pick up time.

GoSTAT Urban accepts reservations and cancellations Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Call 1-877-810-STAT to reserve a pick-up.

The cost is based on the length of the trip. A trip that is less than 10 miles one way costs $1.50 each way. Someone taking a trip that is 11 to 25 miles in length one-way must pay $2.50 each way, and trips over 26 miles cost $4 each way.

Passengers using the service are limited to what they can carry and securely place at their feet or below their seat.

Since its inception, the rural service has averaged 1,400 riders per month. In its first two weeks of service the urban service had 288 riders.

Parish Administrators were made aware of the need for the service when it hosted a business charette in February 2006.

Suzanne Parsons Stymiest, spokesperson for the parish, said many of those present at the charette expressed a need for transportation not only for the elderly and disabled of the parish but all for those members of the workforce who do not own vehicles.

“Our elderly and disabled citizens need affordable and reliable access to transportation,” Director of Social Services John Tobin said. “From medical appointments to part-time work sites, this program provides a needed service for citizens who are unable to provide their own transportation.”

Tobin is pleased that so many residents are seeking out and using this service.

“The response from citizens has been very positive as demonstrated by the ridership numbers,” he said. “St. Tammany Parish is very encouraged by this early data and response.”

Stymiest said in addition to rider fees the service is also being funded through federal grants.