A report on the ongoing transit issue was presented to the Columbia City Council at the request of Mayor Bob McDavid at Monday’s meeting.
McDavid said City Manager Mike Matthes has offered a universal fee to each apartment complex along the Black and Gold routes. The new proposal is necessary because the route has lost thousands of dollars for the city.
Using his calculations, based on one daily round trip ride per student, McDavid said the proposal would equate to 38 cents per ride for each student. Rides cost $1.50 per ride for other citizens.
Currently, students at various apartment complexes pay between 5 and 16 cents per ride, according to McDavid.
As of now, Grindstone Canyon, Campus View Apartments, Gateway and Rolling Rock Condos have agreed to the proposal.
Complexes that have refused the offer are Campus Lodge, Copper Beech and Log Hill Run. The Pointe has rejected it in favor of buying semester passes.
Complexes undecided at this point are The Reserve, The Cottages and The Grove.
McDavid said he plans to write a letter to Missouri Students Association President Xavier Billingsley to transfer the report’s info to him and ask Billingsley to inform all students of the current state of the situation. His goal is to make students aware of the circumstances as they sign their leases for next fall.
McDavid said he wants to avoid upset students and parents come August about not having buses. He wanted to make this information public to avoid a public relations disaster.
Students do have the option of buying passes for $100 a semester if their complexes do not agree to the contract, but they will not be guaranteed service. Service will only be provided if the city decides enough members of a complex have bought passes to make it economically prudent for them to provide service.
Council members Fred Schmidt and Barbara Hoppe offered updates on a community meeting they held regarding transit this past week.
Schmidt said several small, inexpensive steps can be taken to improve transit, such as schedules on bus signs and maps on bus stops.
Hoppe said she was impressed with the ideas citizens presented and looks forward to presenting them to the transit task force and council.
The council also accepted $86,300 of funds from the Department of Housing and Urban Development for the purpose of building affordable housing within the city. Habitat for Humanity will receive $50,000 of the funds and Job Point will receive $36,300.
The council also introduced two proposals from The Pointe to move forward with the next phase of its development plan.