Ray Pappalardo, 76 of Jamestown, is a bus driver for the Chautauqua Area Regional Transit System, or CARTS, and arrives to work shortly after the sun rises.

Before he hits the road, Ray takes his temperature, gets his paperwork in order, grabs a GPS, then his keys and heads out the door to the bus. Once there, he completes a full inspection that includes checking the oil, tires, lights and overall maintenance.

"Want to make sure that we're not going to have any problems during the day," Pappalardo says. "The safety of both the passenger, myself."

Pappalardo has route number 8, and will navigate his way north on Route 60 from Jamestown to Dunkirk, with stops in Cassadaga and Fredonia in between.

The former 30-year Southwestern Band director and Music Shoppe co-owner has been a CARTS driver for seven years and says he does it for more than just the extra money.

"I like working with the people down there," Pappalardo says. "But, it’s just to keep me active. I think it makes me feel healthier. I have something to do. There's something when I wake up, there's something there that I'm going to go and pursue."

Jeffrey Dawes of Fredonia is recovering from knee surgery and has taken public transportation for years.

"It's convenient; they get you right to the appointment," Dawes says. "It kind of helps me be independent, and I can rely on public transportation without family or friends to depend on."

After Pappalardo dropped off Dawes, it was time for a quick breakfast run and coffee break, which he then carted off by the pier in Dunkirk overlooking Lake Erie, where Ray reflected on the pandemic.

He says while ridership and the number of drivers have gone down, despite all the safety measures on the buses, he didn't let the reality of putting his own health at risk keep him from working to help others get where they needed to be.

"I haven't really felt any kind of an inconvenience so to say," Pappalardo says. "I wasn't going to let this run my life. That's the attitude that I took. And it worked out, I think, OK. I've been fortunate."

Steve Bonish of Fredonia is punching his ticket to Jamestown. He's headed to a job service center, as he just moved to the area from Erie, Pa., and decided to call CARTS for a ride.

"I don't think many people do take advantage of it," Bonish says. "It's convenient, it's reasonably priced and they do a good job. They're reliable."

And after a second run up and down Route 60, Pappalardo pulls back into home base, wipes down the seats, and heads inside, where he hangs up his keys and fills out some more paperwork.

He and the staff were recently recognized by Chautauqua County leaders as heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I don't look at myself as a hero," Pappalardo admits. "Just doing my job and try to do what I can, of course, to help people out."

And when the day is done, he says his goodbyes and heads home to re-charge for his next shift.