Matt Hurlburt stands across from his house and waits for the Chautauqua Area Regional Transit System, or CARTS bus, though it's not called that anymore, tell you why in a minute. He's been riding the bus about 40 years.

"It takes me to work, and out for breakfast and the doctor's offices," said Hurlburt.

Hurlburt's is one of dozens of buses that criss-cross the county every day. Before he heads to work as a long-time member of the helping hands crew at Wegmans, he gets dropped off in Jamestown, where he stops in for breakfast at Lisciandro's downtown, and orders a cup of coffee, along with his food.

From there, it's a short walk to the bus junction complete with rider and route information. Hurlburt gets back on the bus that'll take him to work.

"I'd like to see more people on the bus. I'd like to see a lot more people because the gas is so high," he said.

Chautauqua County transportation leaders and others recently cut the ribbon on three new trolley cars and a rebranded fleet, now called CHQ Transit, complete with nine new buses wrapped with iconic county locations and landscapes.

Leaders say with the distinct, easy to recognize buses, they hope to increase ridership and reverse misconceptions some may have about public transportation.

"That's 100% true. We want everyone to know that this is public transportation. And that we are for everyone. And we really hope everyone takes advantage of it," said Michele Westphal, senior project coordinator, CHQ Transit.

Most of the grant funding for project came from the state's Department of Transportation.

"Without the state, we wouldn't have been able to do this. This was a huge grant that we had and we're very grateful," said Westphal.

In addition to fare boxes, CHQ Transit is also looking to invest more than $400,000 in new technology, including a cashless system and mobile app, where riders can schedule trips online and track the bus.

"We have GPS in all the buses so hopefully the app will be able to show you on a map where it is," said Westphal.

Until then, riders like Hurlburt are grateful for the helping hand he gets, will hang on to their pass, excited about riding on a new bus.

"It's good news. Help a lot of people," he said.

The new buses are already on the road, and will join the existing fleet once the rest of it is wrapped.

In an effort to help boost the local economy and increase tourism, the trolleys will travel routes that include points of interest around the county. One is already available for the public to rent, for private events like bridal parties or nights out on the town.