What began as a set of doodles on a map a few months ago has become a proposal for a more effective and fiscally and socially responsible public transportation system in Columbia.
The proposed system, known as CoMo Connect, seeks to improve the current transit system by shifting to a network system, adding technology and preparing for future generations of riders.
The network system would cut down time for riders and would reach more areas of Columbia. This would be done with two core routes and seven neighborhood loops.
Core routes would run on fifteen minute headways, with one route running east to west and the other north to south. Neighborhood loops would run on 30 minute headways.
Technological improvements such as a bus tracking app for iPhones and Androids are in the works. Bus shelters will also get a facelift, with new lighting, benches and better protection from the weather.
“We want to keep improving the system for our customers’ needs,” Public Works spokesman Steve Sapp said.
The commission working on the proposal is hoping to communicate with the community in the next six to eight months to better understand what improvements and services customers and potential customers want, Sapp said.
“(I) encourage as much public input as possible,” Sapp said. “The public’s ideas will allow us to tailor a system that is desirable to customers.”
City officials are also seeking university students’ input in the discussion process as well, Fourth Ward Councilman Ian Thomas said at last month’s meeting.
“I think the number one issue that faces students in regards to transportation is affordability and accessibility,” Missouri Students Association President Nick Droege said. “We need to ensure that transportation stays affordable while offering a wider range of routes and destinations.”
By the end of August, GPS and passenger counters will be in place on the current buses. This will allow the commission to gather data throughout the discussion process. From the data gathered, new routes and schedules could be modeled.
“Some routes may only carry six passengers on a 40 passenger bus,” Sapp said. “After 6:00 p.m., ridership really drops off and at 10 or 11 in the evening there may be one or two passengers. Are we being fiscally responsible to the community? Are we being socially responsible?”
Sapp said the city is using a “holistic” approach that includes what kinds of vehicles should be running on which routes and what kind of fuel would be economically and environmentally friendly.
“We hear loud and clear people want their government to live within its means,” Sapp said.
Beginning in October, parking permits will go up by $10. With the money raised from the parking permits, the city will be able to match a grant from the Federal Transit Administration for approximately $300,000.
An application for a $10 million grant from the Department of Transportation has been submitted.
“We have been talking with MoDOT and elected officials (to see if the state can provide funding as well,” Sapp said. “The University of Illinois receives a $15 million subsidy from the state.”
The potential date for CoMo Connect to begin is Aug. 1, 2014.
“We are trying to affect behavioral change,” Sapp said about CoMo Connect. “To do that, we need to have a usable system for our customers. We need to have a good product first in order to affect that change.”
