Owner of new local transit company aiming at blue skies

Need a ride somewhere? Dude, just take an Uber. Hail a cab. Oh yeah! It's the Coulee, so you can't do any of that stuff. Or can you?

Teresa Bower has started a company called Blue Dot Transit Connect, which isn't associated with Uber, but offers similar services and has similar rates.

Having moved to Electric City via Renton, Washington, earlier this year with her husband David, Bower saw the need for a taxi service in the area.

Bower said that Blue Dot is named after the blue skies you see more in Eastern Washington than in Western Washington.

"We're both a little semi-retired," Bower said. "We come here to play, and we decided it would be better just to live here, and we're really glad we moved. We just love it here."

"It just seemed like something helpful," Bower said about her new company. "This is just another resource."

The service is meant for just about any transportation need: a ride to the grocery store, to an appointment, to work, while having car troubles, if kids need to be picked up from school, if someone wants food delivered, or even if they need a ride to the airport.

Bower anticipates travel mostly in the immediate coulee area, but can help if somebody needs a ride to Ephrata or Spokane.

Bower says the hours are mainly 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., but she is open to the idea of taking somebody longer distances at different times, such as to the airport at 6 a.m. to catch a flight.

Bower has a 2015 Ford Transit Connect that can seat up to six passengers, and also has a utility trailer.

"If somebody has yard debris or garbage, I can take it to the dump," Bower said, "or if they have something to pick up at the hardware store, I can go pick it up for them and take it to their house. A washer/dryer from Loepps, or if they need to move some furniture; we can do the smaller stuff."

The service is paid for by credit card only - no cash - and Bower feels confident that she'll be safe driving strangers around.

"I figure it will be a great way to meet people here," Bower said. "Here we notice everybody has the five-finger wave; you see that a lot. If you go to the Seattle area, you get the one-finger wave a lot. It's a completely different vibe here, and everybody knows everybody. So it's a little bit different that way, and that's another reason we're happy to be here."