ROBERTSDALE, Alabama --- The Baldwin Rural Area Transportation System held an open house on Thursday, May 17 to celebrate the expansion of its facility, located on County Road 54 in Robertsdale.

Officials from the Baldwin County Commission, local municipalities, Alabama Department of Transportation and Thompson Engineering, which oversaw the construction, attended the celebration.

B.R.A.T.S. was created by the Baldwin County Commission in 1987 and began operation with the purchase of three used vans, operated by two drivers from its original facility on Highway 59, just north of the Robertsdale United Methodist Church.

Under the direction of longtime director Rosie Broadus and current director Taylor Rider, the facility, which operates with Federal funds  through the Alabama Department of Transportation, runs a daily schedule of 52 buses, said Chandra Middleton, assistant director of transportation for B.R.A.T.S.

According to a press release issued by B.R.A.T.S., the new building consists of 2,520 square feet of renovated space and a new 2,550 square foot addition to the building. The project was funded in full by the American Recovery Reinvestment Act of 2009 Stimulus Funds and cost a total of $377,400.

The renovations and addition have allowed BRATS to provide a larger waiting area at central transfer for citizens to wait comfortably for their connecting bus that will take them to their destination points. The new waiting area also provides citizens with a monitor and access to dispatch personnel where they can get additional information on bus locations and arrival times.

The new building also has a new training area that will allow for cost efficient in-house training of BRATS personnel. The new renovations and addition also provided additional administrative and personnel offices, areas for drivers to complete paperwork, and a conference room for meetings.

“It is the goal of the BRATS Program to offer safe, affordable and reliable transportation to the citizens of Baldwin County in order to help promote a strong economy, protect our environment, conserve energy and enhance our lives,” it was stated in the release.

For more information about B.R.A.T.S. visit www.baldwincountyal.gov or call 251-972-6817.