Patty Henry waited patiently at the Midtown Transit Station for a Rome Transit bus to take her shopping. For 60 cents, the senior citizen rate, she can go shopping or go to the doctor, a trip she said she often makes four times a week.

Sue Cobb, who was waiting with her, uses the bus service at least once a week to go shopping or downtown, she said.

Rome Transit Department officials estimate that 675 people use the bus service in Rome each day.

The city has had bus service for more than 50 years. City officials took it over from Georgia Power, and many still rely on the service today, mainly to get to work and school.

The Rome Transit Department oversees the Tripper buses that get children in the Rome school system to and from school; a para-transit service for those with mobility issues; and the main line service, which runs five routes daily from 5:40 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Ted Edwards, an intern with the Rome-Floyd County Planning Department, conducted a survey on the main line service. He questioned 100 people who rode the buses between Nov. 16 and Dec. 21, 2012. Each bus route was surveyed during the morning and afternoon over the course of 10 days.

Of those 100 people surveyed, 42 percent used the bus service for work, and 30 percent used it for school.

And of the 26 who revealed where they went to school, 62 percent of them went to Georgia Northwestern Technical College, 23 percent went to Berry College and 15 percent went to Shorter University.

Out of 97 responses, 35 percent said they rode the bus one to 10 times a month, 35 percent said they rode the bus 11 to 20 times a month, and 30 percent said they rode the bus 21 to 20 times a month.

Out of the Rome Transit Department’s $2.759 million budget, a little more than $1 million goes to operate the main line service, said Kathy Shealy, department director.

Passengers pay just $1.25 to ride the bus, with seniors and students paying just 60 cents.