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GRANITE QUARRY, N.C. -- There are a few spread out shopping centers in the Rowan County town of Granite Quarry. Food Lion is about five minutes away in Rockwell. Highway 52 connects two eastern Rowan County towns and now a new bus service brings them closer.

"Three, two, one," said Rowan County Commission Chairman Carl Ford as a group of political leaders hold the ribbon. He cuts the center and applause erupts.

The 14-seat bus will travel 22 miles seven times a day in eastern Rowan County. Stops include the Food Lion Shopping Center in Rockwell and the Eastern branch of the Rowan County Library.

Branch manager Paul Birkhead is excited his patrons now have an easy way to visit since there have been obstacles in the past. "Sorry my books are late but my car wouldn't work, or I was waiting on my sister to bring me," he said. "We're always like that's OK, just get here when you can. That's why we allow them to call in and renew their books or they can actually go on line and renew their books." He points out, now they can take the "Rowan Express East" to the Rockwell branch and then onto the Salisbury branch.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation is funding the program because it's part of a regional mass transit plan that links people in small communities to larger cities.

"We realize that our need for transportation does not stop at your county or city boundary line," said Miriam Perry, director of Public Transportation Division with the NCDOT.

Perry said five years ago the NCDOT started working with regions on transportation networks. South Rowan started a similar system in April 2009 that has 50 to 80 riders a day.

"Funding from DOT actually paid for 90 percent. of the cost of the vehicle of the passenger amenities including the shelter and the benches," said Perry.

NCDOT funding helps keep the cost of the fare to $1.