BY JERRIE WHITELEY

HERALD DEMOCRAT

Leave the sleigh in the garage Black Friday and take TAPS to the shopping centers in Sherman.

Texoma Area Rapid Transit will open its fixed routes at 7 p.m. Nov. 25 to help people with their holiday shopping.

"We have taken people back and forth to the shopping centers in years past and this year we are excited to offer our fixed routes for that," said Brad Underwood, TAPS director.

Underwood said the time and hassle of finding a parking place alone makes taking public transportation a good idea and then one can add to that the fact that public transit is better for the environment.

He said the Viking route starts at 7 a.m. and makes scheduled stops at Hilltop, Diamond, Creekview, Lakewood, and Huntington apartments before heading out to the Sherman Town Center where it stops at major shopping destinations such as Target, TJ Maxx, Best Buy and others. The Roo route starts at Zauk Circle at 7 a.m. and will make stops at the same shopping locations at Town Center.

"We will keep running until midnight," Underwood said. He said people will be able to get on and off the bus several times a day if need be to go to different locations.

Those who don't live near a scheduled stop on one of the routes can also schedule a pick up at their home. The TAPS office will be closed on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day so those who want an individual pick up should call earlier in the week. He said that although individual rides normally stop about 5 p.m., the service "will be flexible" for those who want to get a ride back to their home from their shopping expedition.

Underwood said the fixed routes continue to attract significant numbers of riders.

"We had 3,455 riders for the month of October alone," he said. Those numbers are more than enough, Underwood said, to consider the fixed routes a booming success.

The price for a ride is $1 for those 60 years old or older and $2 for younger adults. Children ride free with an adult. To schedule a ride, call 1-800-256-0911.