MALONE -- A new Franklin County Public Transportation route for the Adirondacks starts Monday, carrying passengers between Malone and Lake Placid for $6 round trip.

A shuttle to reach Paul Smith's College, the state fish hatchery, Lake Clear and Sunmount Development Disabilities Services Offices is also starting Monday, for $4 round trip.

POPULAR ALREADY

Three 20-passenger buses will be on the road Monday morning to shuttle people to jobs, appointments and other destinations, Franklin County Transportation Coordinator Robert Bayruns said.

He said calls are pouring in from correctional facilities and other large-scale employers from people reserving daily space on the bus.

"We're having people start to call in now so we know how many buses to have available the first thing Monday. We really don't know what to expect.

"Each bus handles 20 people, and we already know we have 25 to 30 people from Ray Brook's prison alone," Bayruns said.

With the owners' permission, three stops along the route have been designated as park-and-ride sites: Samson's Bar and Grill, the Blarney Stone and OneWorkSource.

"These were natural stops on that route, and we thought it would be simpler for everybody," Bayruns said.

NEED EXPRESSED

At a Thursday afternoon dedication ceremony in Saranac Lake, one of the seven new buses was unveiled, with a photo by Saranac Lake photographer Mark Kurtz emblazoned on the side.

Chamber officials and community volunteers said they hoped to keep people mobile in the wake of rising fuel prices.

"It's a great way to kind of ease the pain that we are all experiencing at the pump these days," said Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce Director Sylvie Nelson.

Workers at Adirondack Medical Center, the largest private employer in the Adirondacks, are already signing up for the service, said AMC spokesman Joe Riccio.

"I did talk to a couple of co-workers today who are going to be taking advantage of the bus from Malone down to the Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake," he said. "Carpooling isn't even enough, so it's a great opportunity, it's a great resource -- why not take advantage of it?"